


Time and Confusion

by Sunstar77



Series: A Fantastic Life [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 11:56:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13880367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunstar77/pseuds/Sunstar77
Summary: The Rift brings a mysterious woman into the Hub.





	1. Chapter 1

Nearly two years had passed when she dreamt of Cardiff. 

She was fairly certain it was Cardiff at home. The lack of zeppelins sort of tipped her off. When she told them about this dream, Pete smiled.

"We're opening a new Torchwood branch in Cardiff," he said. "I was going to ask if you wanted to transfer there. Run the place."

"Moving up in the world. Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth," Mickey joked. Jackie laughed. Even her little sister, Maddy, giggled because everyone else was.

Rose smiled carefully. The title had been given to her by someone else and it still hurt. "I'll do it," she told Pete firmly. "I think it's where I'm supposed to be."

***

Two weeks later, Rose was happily ensconced in a flat near Cardiff Bay. Or as happy as she could be, considering she was stranded dimensions away from her home. She was trying to make the best of it and it helped that her family was here. However, she still longed for a strange alien who traveled in a big blue box. She longed for home.

Torchwood Three was finally ready to open. The Rift that ran through this Cardiff made it necessary to have a branch there. They'd been sending so many teams out from London to pick up alien artifacts; it only made sense to have a team there full time. 

Pete had found an abandoned underground base that the government was no longer using and set up shop there. It was an interesting area, with a water tower that ran from above ground into a pool of water at the center of the main room. There were tunnels extending out that were being used for holding cells and storage.

"This is great!" Mickey exclaimed as he bounded up the stairs to where Rose was standing. She nodded absently. "Jake and I have already found an area for weapons testing and there's a huge room for archives and secure storage. And we don't think the pterodactyl will be too hard to train."

That caught Rose's attention. "What? Did you say pterodactyl?"

Mickey laughed. "Just seeing if you were paying attention. You've been a million miles away since we moved here."

"Just thinking about that dream." She turned and looked at him. He was almost like the old him, the man he'd been before he'd seen friends and family taken by Cybermen. "Jack was in this one. You remember Jack?"

Mickey snorted. "Hard to forget the Intergalactic Playboy. What was he doing?"

"Standing here."

"Was he talking to you or something?"

She shook her head. "No. He was just standing and staring at the Hub."

"Ma'am? Sir? I'm making coffee. Would you like one?"

Rose looked down and saw their new office manager looking up at them questioningly. He held up the pot of water he was holding to emphasize the question.

She smiled. "That'd be lovely, Ianto. Thanks."

***

"We appreciate you transferring here from London," Rose said as Ianto set a cup of coffee down on her desk. "How's the move going?"

"Fine. I'm almost all unpacked. Lisa's going back tomorrow." He picked up the empty cups from the desk and the table near the windows. "She wasn't too happy about the move, but she's going to try for a transfer here."

Rose nodded. "I'm sure we have an opening for her." She'd met Ianto's fiancée once and really liked her. They were obviously very much in love.

"Thank you, ma'am."

She sighed. "Ianto, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Rose?"

"Sorry, ma'am," he stopped with a smile, "I mean, Rose. I'm not used to such informality. Torchwood London is quite different."

"I know. But we're such a small group here, and I really hate being called ma'am. Makes me feel old," she added with a grin.

Jake strode into the office, holding a folder. "We've got something to check out. Hey, Ianto," he said as the office manager slipped out. Ianto nodded to the field agent before disappearing down the stairs.

Rose took the folder. It was the first case they'd has since they officially opened the office a week earlier. "What is it?" She started flipping through the pages, scanning the report and looking at the photos inside.

"We're pretty sure it's alien."

She glanced at him, an eyebrow raised. "Pretty sure?"

"Wait 'til you see the CCTV footage. When the two uniforms cornered it, the alien just disappeared and then popped back up five feet away, before mauling them. One's still in hospital." Jake found a particularly gruesome photo of the injuries for Rose. "You ever seen anything like this before?"

She studied the photo of the alien. It looked like a female human, only its fingers ended in long talons. "Not an alien I've ever seen before. Love the purple hair, though."

"Rose!" The shout drew them out of the office. Susan was looking up from her workstation. "She just appeared in an office building in the city centre."

Rose rushed down the stairs, with Jake following closely on her heels. "Get the team together," she ordered to Susan as she opened the weapons locker. "Ianto!"

He appeared in the door of the small kitchenette. "Ma'am?"

"We're heading out. Prep the SUV, please." Ianto nodded and slipped out a side tunnel to the garage. Rose turned back to Jake. "Where's Mickey?"

"Right here," Mickey called from the tunnel leading to the firing range. He took the gun Rose held out to him and tucked it into the small of his back.

"We ready?" Rose looked around. The three agents nodded. "Let's go then," she said and led them down to the garage.

***

Rose ran to the edge of the roof. The female was gone. "Damn it," Rose muttered. "I lost her," she said louder, so the mic would pick her up. "She's disappeared."

Mickey's voice sounded in her ear. "I've go no signs of her down here. You sure she's not on the roof?"

"I'm sure. She dove off the side and disappeared." Rose glanced around at the nearby rooftops. They were as empty as this one. "Susan, check the CCTV. Do you see any signs of her?"

"I've been watching the whole time. She leapt off the roof and disappeared."

Rose turned and headed back to the stairs. "Monitor all CCTV in the area; keep an eye out for her. We've got to catch her before she hurts anyone else."

"Sure thing, boss. You coming down?" Jake asked over the ear piece. "We're hungry and Ianto wants to know if he should order Chinese."

"I'm on my way. Tell him to get me prawn lo mein." She took one last glance around the roof before heading down the stairs.

Jake's laughter filled her ear. "He said he already has. And that you should try something new once in a while."

"Am I that predictable?" she mused aloud. More than one voice answered her in the positive. Rose laughed and turned down the tenth floor hallway to the lift. Movement to her left caught her eye and she turned. A glimpse of purple hair disappearing into a doorway set Rose in motion down the hallway. "I think I've found our missing alien," she said quietly into the mike. "Tenth floor, second hallway on the left from the roof access." She drew her taser gun and moved as quietly as she could to the door where she'd seen the movement. The female was out on the balcony when she entered the room.

"Don’t move!" she yelled. The female turned toward Rose and snarled. Rose approached carefully. She could hear her backup heading towards her. "We are taking you into custody. You will not be harmed as long as you don't harm us," Rose said as she moved slowly onto the balcony. The rest of the team came running into the room. The female looked at them and rushed Rose. 

Rose fired her taser a split second too late. The alien slammed into Rose, causing her to drop the gun and pushing them both against the railing. A moment later, they were tumbling over the side.

Rose grabbed the railing as they went over. The alien fell, disappearing before she hit the ground. Rose struggled to pull herself up as hands grabbed her wrists to help her up.

"I've got you, Rose," Jake assured her as he tried to pull her up. Her right hand slipped out of his and she flailed in the air. He tried to get a better grip on her left hand, but she felt herself sliding. "No," he said. Their eyes locked and she could read apology in his gaze.

"It's not your fault, Jake," Rose said softly as her hand slipped from his. She heard Mickey's yell in her ear as she fell. The cacophony of voices was the last thing she heard before everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

The lights flickered and flared. Owen looked up from his computer. "What the hell?" Owen muttered, looking around. Toshiko did the same from her workstation. "What was-" he started to ask when there was another flare and the room went dark. 

He heard a splash and then the power came back up. He glanced down at the pool of water at the base of the water tower. An unconscious woman lay in the water. He jumped up and ran down to the edge.

Toshiko grabbed a first aid kit and followed Owen down. Gwen appeared a moment later. 

"Who’s she?" Toshiko knelt next to Owen, helping pull the blonde woman out of the water. She was pretty, with full lips and a nose that could only be called cute. 

He shrugged. "I heard a splash when the power cut. When it came back on, she was here." He tore open the kit and pulled out a stethoscope. He listened to her heart and took her pulse. "Good and steady." Pulling back her eyelids, one at a time, he checked her pupils.

Gwen's face held a look of concern. "Where did she come from?"

Toshiko looked back at her. "She just appeared during the power cut."

Owen lifted her up and carried her to the infirmary. Gwen and Toshiko followed him, bringing him the first aid kit. He looked at Gwen. "Get her out of those wet things. Gowns are in the drawer over there."

Ianto appeared at the railing. He'd been out front tidying the tourist centre when the power went out. "What's happened? Who's she?"

"Strange woman appeared during the power cut," Owen reported, finding blankets to cover the woman.

Gwen started pulling the soaking clothes off of the woman. As she pulled the black jumper over her head, an earpiece similar to the ones they used fell to the floor. Gwen picked it up and put it to her ear.

"Hello?" she called, but no one answered. She set it aside and went back to undressing their mystery guest. Toshiko helped Gwen get the woman's jeans off. Once she was fully undressed, Gwen reached for a towel to dry her off. She noticed a chain hanging around the woman's neck with a key hanging from it. Gwen carefully unhooked it and set it next to the earpiece before dressing her in a gown.

"She must have come through the Rift," Toshiko said.

"I'll check the readings," Ianto offered and disappeared.

Gwen looked at Toshiko. "We've dealt with that before. We can handle that."

Owen shot her a look. "We can handle anything, Gwen."

"I know, Owen," she snapped. "I'm sorry that I miss him and want him to come back."

Toshiko laid a hand on her shoulder. "We don't know if he's ever coming back. Jack may be gone for good."

Gwen stared at the woman on the table. "If she came through, then there's always a chance," she ground out. "I'm going to see if Ianto needs help figuring out what caused the power cut."

Owen and Toshiko watched her go. They shared a sympathetic look before going back to work. Gwen had taken Jack's disappearance hard, as hard as Ianto, though he almost always wore his mask of cool professionalism to hide it. Gwen, on the other hand, wore her heart on her sleeve, every emotion written on her face.

"I'll talk to her later," Owen whispered. Toshiko nodded. "This woman's vitals are steady, so let’s get her to one of the cells. We'll make her as comfortable as possible and go help Ianto and Gwen."

He lifted the woman up and carried her down to one of the empty cells. Toshiko followed with blankets. They covered her up warmly and stepped back out of the cell. The door slid shut and they left.

"Put the monitor on the cells. I want to know when she wakes up," Owen told Ianto. 

Ianto typed a few keystrokes and the cells appeared on the large monitor. "Tosh, can you see if there was a fluctuation in the Rift at the moment of the power cut?" She nodded and went to her computer. He turned to Owen. "I think the power cut was caused by the Rift."

"You're right, Ianto," Toshiko exclaimed. "The Rift shifted and it caused the power surge and then cut. When it shifted, it opened just a tiny amount. It must have been enough to pull the woman from wherever she had been."

"Did anyone check her things? See if she had any identification?" Owen asked.

Gwen appeared next to him. "No identification. She was wearing this, though." She held out the key, which she had retrieved from the woman's clothes. 

"What is it?" Toshiko asked as she craned her neck to see. Gwen handed her the key. Toshiko turned it over in her hand. It was just a simple Yale key. "Wonder what it opens. I'll see if I can figure it out."

"I've started a scan on her. We'll see what she is." Owen glanced over his shoulder at the screen on the wall. She was still out cold. 

"What are we going to call her?" Gwen asked. "We can't just keep calling her 'she' or 'her'."

"What about Jane Doe?" Owen suggested.

Ianto groaned. "You've been watching too many American police shows." He watched the woman for a moment. "She looks like a Briar."

Gwen smiled. "That's lovely."

"What does that mean, she looks like a Briar? Idiot." Owen turned away in disgust. 

Gwen stared at Owen's back. Sometimes, she thought Owen might have grown up a bit since Jack left. Then other times, he was same obnoxious Owen as always. She shook her head and walked away.

***

Owen pushed the door to the cells open and stepped inside. Gwen was leaning against the wall, watching the unconscious woman. She didn't look at Owen as he mimicked her pose next to her.

"When was the last time you left this place?" he asked softly.

"I went out for lunch yesterday," she answered.

Owen sighed. "That's not what I meant and you know it. When was the last time you went home and slept in your own bed? Saw Rhys? Did something normal?"

"What's normal?" She laughed harshly.

He lifted a hand to her face, cupped her cheek and turned her towards him. "We all miss him. But, sweetheart, you can't let your life stop because Jack's gone. He wouldn't want that." Tears were slowly running down her face now, and he wiped them away with his thumbs. "You need to go home tonight, get out of here. It's not good for you." 

"Lots of things aren't good for me. 'S never stopped me before. She's not going to wake up tonight. We need to stay." She sniffled and leaned into him. A moment later, she raised her head. "What’s goin' on with you, Owen? One minute, you're an arsehole and the next, you're being nice and telling me to go home."

"Hey, I'm trying. Jack's shoes are hard to fill, y'know? Someone's gotta be the adult for this twisted little family." Owen put his arm around Gwen. "You don't need to stay. I'm going to. Tosh said she'd come back in a few hours and relieve me. We don't have lives. You still do, Gwen. Don't throw it away for us."

Gwen gave a strangled laugh. "Jack said that to me. More than once, he told me to keep a hold of my life. Not to let Torchwood take over."

"Then do it for Jack. Do it so that when he comes back, he's not disappointed in you. Go home and spend the night with Rhys. We'll still be here in the morning." Owen couldn't stop the pained look that crossed his face as he said those words. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Please, Gwen."

She let her head drop to his shoulder and clung to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she continued to cry. He murmured nonsensical things to calm her.

Eventually, she lifted her head, sniffing. Gwen looked at Owen, slightly embarrassed. He smiled. "You okay?"

Gwen nodded. "I'll be back tomorrow morning. If you need anything, you call me." She wiped at her face.

"We won't. But you can bring us donuts," Owen replied. He gave her another quick hug and led her out of the cells.

***

Rhys was waiting for her when Gwen got home. He handed her a glass of wine with a smile and a kiss.

"Good day at work?" he asked and went back into the kitchen.

She nodded. "Hmm, yes, I suppose." She sat at the table, watching him put the finishing touches on supper. 

"You suppose? Not getting bored with all that special ops secret stuff are you?" Rhys joked.

"No, it's just, we've got this missing persons case. Very close to home. It's been going on for months now and we're not getting any closer to solving it. And now we've got something new to work on as well. A bit frustrating." She smiled when he set the plate in front of her. "Oh, looks fantastic. Cheers."

Rhys pressed a kiss to the top of her head before he sat down. "You'll solve it. I know you will."

She stared at him, wondering what she'd ever done to deserve someone like Rhys. With a sad smile, Gwen leaned over and kissed a surprised Rhys. "You're the best, Rhys."

He grinned. "So are you, love," he said and tucked in to his supper. He didn't see Gwen's smile fade as she started to eat her own meal.


	3. Chapter 3

Gwen stretched and looked up at the monitor. Owen and Tosh had been taking shifts during the night at the Hub for three days with Briar, waiting for her to wake up. She was finally moving about on the cot. "Owen," Gwen called. There was no answer from the man sleeping on the couch. With a groan, she pushed to her feet and went to give Owen a shake. "Owen, get up. Briar's awake." He gave a grunt and swiped at her over his shoulder. Gwen glared at his sleeping form, resisting the urge to kick him, and reached down to give Owen's shoulder a hard shove. "Get up."

Owen rolled over and opened his eyes a fraction. "Wha?" he asked incoherently.

"Briar's waking up. We should check on her?"

" 'Bout time." He pushed himself up, running his fingers through his hair and rubbing his face. "Alright, I'm coming."

Their guest was sitting up when they reached the cell. She looked at them with a mixture of curiosity and fear. The Weevil caught sight of Owen and howled. Briar started and looked in the direction of the sound.

"What was that?" she asked. 

Gwen smiled pleasantly. "Just a Weevil. Don't mind it. Now, how're you feeling?"

"Alright, I guess. A little bit achy. Where am I?"

Owen opened the cell door and stepped in. "You're in the cells at the Hub. Now, how about you tell us who you are and how you got here?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Her brow furrowed. "I don’t know. I can't remember."

"What's the last thing you do remember?" Gwen asked.

Briar closed her eyes and thought. "Falling," she said after a moment, opening her eyes. "Before that, a golden light. Then nothing." She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. 

Gwen noticed and grabbed one of the blankets on the cot. She wrapped it around Briar's shoulders. "I'll bring you your clothes.." She glanced at Owen, who nodded. With a smile at Briar, she slipped out of the cell.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." Owen leaned down so Briar could put her arm around his shoulder. He helped her stand up. She hissed when her bare feet touched the cold floor. Owen laughed. "It'll be better when we get out of here."

They slowly made their way out of the cells and into the atrium of the Hub, which was noticeably warmer. Owen led her down to the infirmary and helped her sit on the exam table Gwen, Toshiko and Ianto came into the infirmary. Gwen set a pile of clothes on the edge of the table and Ianto handed Briar a steaming mug.

"Thought you might need something to warm you up." He smiled congenially.

Briar returned his smile. "Thank you, Ianto."

Everyone froze. Owen turned and looked at her. "How did you know his name?"

Briar looked confused. "I don't know. I just," she shook her head, "did."

Owen turned to look at Ianto. "Do you know her?"

Ianto shook his head. "No. I've never seen her before." He stared at Briar. The others shifted uncomfortably.

Clearing her throat, Gwen stepped forward to make introductions. "This is Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato and Ianto Jones. I'm Gwen Cooper. Welcome to Torchwood Three."

Owen watched Briar gaze about her. Her eyes narrowed when Gwen said Torchwood, like she remembered something, but then the look was gone.

"I don't know what my name is, but it's nice to meet you," she said with a smile.

"We've been calling you Briar, if that's alright," Toshiko told her in a gentle voice. "I'm going to go work on your identity." She patted Briar on the hand and went up the stairs.

"I just want to check you over real quick." Owen held up his stethoscope and she nodded. She heard him breathe on it before pressing it against her back. "Just breathe normal."

Briar did as she was told. Owen also peered in her ears, shone a light in her eyes and looked down her throat.

"You hungry? Ianto got Chinese takeaway." Owen went back to his computer. "Get dressed," he threw over his shoulder as he typed. He could hear the rustle of cloth and Briar moving about behind him. She didn't see Owen's surreptitious glance over his shoulder as she pulled off the gown to put on the jumper.

"Ready?" he asked. The printer next to him spewed out a report. Briar nodded and followed him up to the Boardroom, looking around her in awe as they moved through the Hub.

The other members of Torchwood were already eating when Briar and Owen entered the Boardroom.

"Oi, thanks for waiting!" Owen exclaimed. They ignored him and he flopped into one of the chairs. Gwen gestured to one of the other chairs and Briar sat down. 

"What would you like, Briar?" Toshiko asked.

Briar looked at the collection of boxes in the center of the table. "Is there any prawn lo mein?"

Ianto nodded, his mouth full. He gestured with a chopstick at one of the containers. Briar reached out and spooned some of the noodles onto her plate. "Cheers." The smell of the food reminded Briar that she was starving. She dug in with gusto. 

Toshiko looked down the table at Owen. "Did the scan show anything?"

"There doesn’t seem to be any ill effects from coming through the Rift, so that's good. Interestingly enough, computer says Briar's only mostly human."

Briar had only been paying partial attention to the conversations in the room, but this caught her ear. "What do you mean, mostly human?"

"Well, the scan didn’t break it down to percentages, but I'd say you're 99% human, 1% something else."

She set down her fork. "What sort of something else?"

Owen shrugged. "Have to do further tests. Computer didn't recognize it."

"I'm not human," Briar repeated.

"Well, you're mostly human."

Briar stood up. "Please excuse me. I need to be alone for a moment." She left the Boardroom and went upwards. When she reached the catwalks running around the upper levels of the Hub, she sat down and began to cry. 

***

Back in the Boardroom, Gwen got to her feet and watched Briar walk away. "Poor thing," she murmured, her face sad with empathy.

"Where is she going to stay tonight?" Toshiko asked. "I don't know about you, but I'd like to get out of the Hub and go home."

Gwen shook her head. "Rhys had a fit when I brought Emma home. I don't think he'll be too keen on it."

"No extra space at my place," Owen pointed out. "One bedroom. Why don't we just take her to the hostel?"

Gwen glared at him. "By herself? With amnesia? I'm beginning to doubt your medical abilities, Doctor Harper."

Owen opened his mouth to respond, but Ianto cut him off, "I can take her." They turned to look at him. "I have an extra room," he explained.

Gwen nodded. "I'll go tell her." She left the conference room and headed toward the upper catwalks. Briar sat on the floor with her legs dangling off the catwalk. She leaned against the railing, her head on her arms.

"Briar?" she called. The blonde looked up, hastily wiping at her face. "You're going to go home with Ianto tonight. He has a spare room. It'll be more comfortable than spending another night in the cells."

"Okay. Thank you."

Gwen sat down next to Briar. "What Owen said earlier, about you being mostly human, it's not as bad as all that."

"What'd you know about it?" Briar grumbled.

"Our leader, he's on leave right now, but he's not all human either. At least, I'm fairly certain he's not. He's a little strange."

Briar looked at Gwen straight on. "Gwen? You're not really helping."

Gwen gave her a sheepish half grin. "Sorry. I just wanted to make you feel better."

"Thanks, I guess." She put her chin back on the railing, ignoring Gwen.

***

After Gwen left her, Briar went back to watching. Before long, the members of Torchwood Three began packing up. Briar made her way down from the catwalks to the main floor. Ianto appeared a few moments later.

"Shall we go home?" he asked, holding his coat out to her. "It's chilly outside." She nodded, letting him help her into the coat. Toshiko, Owen and Gwen were already waiting at the door for them. She waved good night to everyone as they headed for the garage.

Briar followed Ianto to his car in the garage. She let him hold her door open for her as she slid in. He went around to the driver's side and got in. He didn’t say anything as he started the car and left the garage.

Ianto's flat wasn't far from the Hub. Briar gazed out the window as they drove through the city. "Where is this? What city is this?" she finally asked.

Ianto threw her a puzzled look. "Cardiff. Where did you think you were?"

She shrugged. "I don't know." Briar leaned her head against the window, falling silent again. Ianto pulled his car into a spot on the street. He got out and came around to open her door. She nodded her thanks and followed him into the building.


	4. Chapter 4

Ianto let her into a flat on the first floor near the back of the building. She caught sight of a neat and organized sitting room before she followed him down a hallway.

"This'll be your room" Ianto pushed open a door and gestured for her to go in. "I'll get you something to sleep in."

"Ianto, can I take a bath?" Briar asked, rubbing the back of her neck with a grimace.

"Of course you can." He led her back up the hall to the bathroom. "You should find shampoo and things in the shower. Towels are in the cupboard there."

"Cheers."

He nodded. "If you need anything, give a shout."

She nodded and shut the door behind her. The bathroom was as organized as the sitting room. Briar turned on the water and found soap and shampoo, setting what she needed on the edge of the tub. Stripping off her borrowed clothes, she slid into the hot water with a sigh. She heard a soft knock on the door while she was rinsing her hair.

"Briar?" Ianto called her name.

She sat up, water streaming down her face. "Yes?"

"I brought you something to sleep in." The door opened just enough for a hand to slip in and place a pile of clothes on the floor before it shut.

"Thanks," she called before going back to her bath.

When she finished, she dried herself off with one of Ianto's fluffy towels. She pulled the big t-shirt over her head and rolled up the pajama pants after she put them on. Not surprisingly, they were too big for her. She hung the towel over the shower curtain rod and went out to find Ianto.

He was sitting on the couch in the sitting room, watching the news. He looked up when she came in. "Feeling better?"

Briar sat on the far side of the couch from him. "Yeah. I needed that." She covered up a yawn. "Anything good on the news?"

"No. Just the usual. You should go to bed, get some sleep."

"Owen said I'd been unconscious for three days. I feel like I shouldn’t be tired."

Ianto got up and went into the kitchen. "That's not real sleep." He set the kettle on and got two mugs out of the cabinet over the sink. "I'll make some tea, and then it's off to bed. How do you take it?"

"Two sugars and milk." Briar smiled, thinking it was odd that she couldn't remember basic information about herself, but she knew how she took her tea. She yawned again and stretched. The newscaster was droning on about a pageant given by a local school. She leaned against her hand, watching the footage on the screen.

Next thing she knew, someone was shaking her. She opened her eyes and found Ianto smiling at her. "Briar, go to bed."

She looked around, unsure of where she was. "Huh?"

"Come on, Briar." He helped her to her feet. "Off to bed with you."

She nodded. "Night, Ianto."

"Good night."

She gave him a little wave as she stumbled down the hall to the guest room.

***

His room was still pitch black when the scream woke him up. He sat up, unsure of where the sound came from. At first, he wondered if he had woken himself up with a nightmare. Then Ianto remembered Briar. He jumped up and ran to the spare room.

Briar lay on her back, her eyes moving rapidly behind her eyelids. She was breathing hard, her hands clenched in the sheets.

Ianto reached out and touched Briar's shoulder. "Briar?" She started and opened her eyes. "Briar, you alright?"

She nodded sleepily. "Bad dream." Her eyes slipped shut for a moment.

"If you need anything, call me." He didn't think she heard him, but then her eyes opened again and she nodded. He smoothed out her blanket before going back to his own room.

Despite the late night awakening, Ianto woke at his usual time. Briar was still sleeping. He looked in on her once and she didn't move. He had his breakfast and brewed coffee for them both, without any sign of movement from Briar's room. He left her coffee on the counter and went to shower and dress.

When it was near his normal time to be at work and Briar was still sleeping, he called the Hub. Gwen answered.

"Briar is still sleeping. I don't want to wake her," he told her.

"Don't worry about it, Ianto. We can handle things here until you can get in," Gwen replied.

"Thanks, Gwen." He hung up and picked up the book he'd been reading the night before.

Briar emerged from her room not long after his call to the Hub. She waved a good morning and disappeared into the kitchen. A moment later, she came out holding the coffee mug.

"Morning, Briar."

"Morning, Ianto." She sat down on the couch and sipped her coffee.

"How did you sleep? Aside from the interruption."

"Good. It was nice to be in a proper bed." She looked at the clock by the television, alarmed at how late it was. "What time do you need to be at work?"

"Don't worry about it. You needed your sleep. We'll go in when you're dressed." He stood up and walked back to the bedrooms. "I'll get you some clothes," he called back to her.

Briar followed him. He handed her a pair of jeans and a blue Henley shirt. "Thanks. I'll have to go shopping so I don't have to keep borrowing yours."

" 'S alright. I don't mind." He grinned. Briar smiled back. She nodded thanks again and went down the hall to the bathroom. Ianto leaned back against his dresser, watching her walk away. "Oh, no." He blew out a long breath. "That is so inconvenient." He closed his eyes and composed himself, trying not to think of the young woman getting dressed in his bathroom.

***

Briar followed Ianto through the tourist information centre into the hallway leading to the Hub. He'd been oddly silent when she came out of the bathroom dressed in his clothes.

A screech drew her out of her thoughts. She looked up, alarmed. "What is that?" Briar asked, pointing at the pterodactyl soaring around the near the ceiling.

"Pterodactyl." Ianto looked up with a smile. "Her name's Myfanwy. She's quite nice, once she gets used to you. She's usually nocturnal, unless there's Rift activity."

"Is she a pet or-?"

"Sort of. She's a bit of a guard pterodactyl. Came through the Rift one day. Sort of like you." Ianto kept walking, but Briar stopped, watching the dinosaur. Once again, something in this place was tickling her memory. She just wished something would actually trigger it.

"Hello, blondie," Owen called from the infirmary. "Come on down here. We need to finish those tests."

She turned with a sigh and headed in his direction. Owen tossed her a gown as she came down the steps. She turned her back and pulled off her shirt. She slipped into the gown before turning around and removing the rest of her clothing. 

Owen brought a tray of instruments over to the table. "Come on, climb up."

***

"All done." Owen put a piece of medical tape over the cotton ball to hold it in place. "You can get dressed and I'll get to work these."

Briar dressed quickly and headed back up the stairs to the main area. Toshiko and Gwen were working at their computers. They nodded hello as she walked past. She wandered around the Hub, moving from level to level aimlessly. She finally came upon an office with glass walls. As far as she could tell, no one currently used this office, but someone obviously had at one time. Curiosity drew her in.

The desk was cluttered with knick-knacks. She looked at each one, some recognizable, some alien, before she came across the one picture frame on the desk. She picked it up and looked at the photo it held.

The photo was older, sepia toned, of a very handsome man and an attractive woman. They were sitting on a bench on a boardwalk somewhere. Briar looked at the man for a moment before she realized she knew his name.

Still holding the frame, she rushed out of the office and down the stairs.

"Gwen!" Briar hurried over to her and held out the photo. "This man, I know him. His name is Jack. Who is he?"

"He's the one I was telling you about last night." Gwen started to say more when Ianto came up to them.

He grabbed the frame from Briar. "Where did you get this?" he demanded, his voice low.

"F-from the office. I just wanted to know who he was," Briar stammered.

"Don't ever go in there again." Ianto ordered and stormed away.

Briar looked at Gwen, her tear-filled eyes wide. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't mean to hurt anything."

Gwen put an arm around Briar. "It's alright. You didn't do anything wrong."

Owen spoke up. "Yeah. Don't mind him, Briar. He's still all tore up over his boyfriend leaving."

Toshiko reached out and gave Owen a whack on the head. "Is it possible for you to be more insensitive, Owen?" She gave him a pointed look before going back to her work.

Gwen ignored both of them. "Why don't we go shopping? You're going to need some clothes and things. It'll do you good to get out of here."

Briar nodded and let Gwen lead her out of the Hub.

***

Gwen and Briar returned mid-afternoon, laden with shopping bags. They were laughing at something when they came in. The women dropped their bags in the conference room and headed back down the stairs. Owen looked up as they approached.

"Well, I've got bad news and good news," he said.

Gwen sat down at her workstation. Briar perched on the edge of a nearby desk. "Well, what is it?" Gwen prodded.

"The bad news is that I still have no idea what that other 1% of you is." He looked mildly apologetic as he said it. "The good news is, I think I know where we can find out."

Briar perked up. "Where?"

"Torchwood London."

Toshiko looked up from her work. "Owen, everything was destroyed during the battle. There's nothing left."

He shook his head. "I've been talking with Ianto. He says a lot of the stuff they had's been put into storage. Torchwood Tower may have been destroyed, but there are still plenty of places where they could have moved the equipment to."

"Won't London just lock her up, if they find out she's not human?" Toshiko asked. 

"Yeah, well, I'm working on that part."

Gwen turned to Toshiko. "Have you had any luck finding out who Briar is?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. The program's still running."

"If Jack was here, he'd know what she was," Gwen said wistfully.

Toshiko nodded in agreement. "He'd know how she got here too. And where she came from."

Owen snorted. "He'd know exactly who she is, 'cause he's probably shagged her." They all laughed, agreeing with Owen. If his stories were anything to be believed, Jack's slept his way through most of the universe. It was more likely than not, that Jack had met and at the very least kissed their mystery guest.

Toshiko's computer dinged. She opened a flashing icon and looked at the window that opened. "Gwen, we've got something that needs to be checked out."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Just a warning, the Gwen and Tosh go look for alien tech plot thread isn't going to be resolved. It isn't important.**

Briar flopped down on the couch, feeling bored and useless. Gwen and Toshiko had gone out to pick up something alien that had come through the Rift. Owen worked busily at his computer and she was avoiding Ianto. She flipped aimlessly through one of the news magazines sitting on the coffee table. After a while, she let her head drop against the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling.

Ianto sat down next to her, leaning forward, his hands clasped together. "Briar, I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier."

She lifted her head and looked at him. "I really didn't mean to intrude."

"I shouldn't have yelled. It's just," Ianto sighed, "I miss Jack a lot. I keep telling myself he's coming back, but it's already been five months."

"You love him?"

He nodded. They sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the Hub: the click of Owen's keyboard, the drip of water from the water tower, occasional noises from Myfanwy's nest.

Ianto leaned back. "You said you knew him?"

"As soon as I saw the photo, I knew his name was Jack. I think I loved him once too." Briar chewed on her lower lip. "I don't know."

Ianto chuckled. "He has that affect on people."

Briar giggled. "Is there anything I can do to help out? I'm feeling pretty useless just sitting here."

"We might be able to find you something." Ianto got to his feet and held his hand out to help her to her feet. He held her hand as he took her first to the kitchen to pick up a Tupperware container and then to the pterodactyl nest, high up in the atrium of the Hub. When he had her safely situated, he turned toward the crevice where the nest was. "Myfanwy? I've got someone for you to meet." He opened up the container he'd brought with them and pulled out what looked like a dog treat.

A cooing noise drew her attention. A long beak appeared, and then the dinosaur herself came waddling out. She gave a glance to Briar before taking the biscuit from Ianto's hand.

"Myfanwy, this is Briar. Briar, Myfanwy." As he made the introductions, he handed a treat to Briar. "Hold it out, keep your fingers together. She probably won't nip you, but it's safer if you don't wiggle your fingers. Good, just like that."

Briar held her hand out towards the big lizard, more than just a little scared. Myfanwy shifted closer to Briar, giving her what seemed like a quick sniff before taking the offered treat. She crunched on it and moved even closer to Briar. She butted the woman with her head, causing Briar to fall over.

"Gentle, Myfanwy. She wants you to scratch her head," Ianto told Briar. He showed her what to do. "Scratch good and hard."

Once it looked like Myfanwy accepted Briar, Ianto got to his feet. Briar looked at him alarmed. "Wait. Where are you going?"

"I have some work to do. Don't worry, she won't hurt you. Just remember, no sudden movements. Especially if she's near your head. I'll order some chicken wings and bring them up to you later." He started to climb down. "If you need me, just give a yell," he said and disappeared.

Myfanwy regarded Briar before scuttling back into the nest. She reappeared a moment later with a ball.

"What?" Briar asked. Myfanwy dropped the ball at her feet and nudged her with her head again. "You want to play fetch?" The dinosaur made a motion that looked like nodding. Briar shrugged and picked up the ball. She gave it a toss into the open air. Myfanwy dove after it with a screech.

"Jesus, Briar. Warn us when you're gonna play catch with the dino, wouldja?" Owen yelled up at her.

Briar leaned down and laughed. Owen wiped something up off of his desk and she suspected he'd been startled when Myfanwy screeched. "Sorry!" she called back down. Myfanwy dropped the ball back in her lap and waited expectantly.

"I'm not sure I signed up for this," Briar muttered. She picked up the ball. Myfanwy waddled to the ledge and looked back at Briar. The woman laughed and threw the ball up and out, into the empty space above the Hub.

Myfanwy finally tired of fetch and settled back down in the nest next to Briar. She set her head on Briar's knee and cooed. Briar set her hand on Myfanwy's head and they fell into silence.

***

Ianto appeared some time later with the promised order of chicken wings and a pizza. "How're you doing up here?"

Briar looked up sleepily. "Getting ready for nap time. Ooo, is that food?" She sat up, dislodging Myfanwy from her knee. Myfanwy made a growling noise and shuffled to Ianto for a scratch, while Briar attacked the pizza.

Ianto threw a chicken wing up. Myfanwy caught it in her beak and crunched down on it. Briar handed him a piece of pizza.

Swallowing, Briar asked him, "So were you and Jack together?"

He looked startled by the question. "Sort of. We had a kind of rocky relationship. He can be hard to resist," he added with a coy smile.

"Yeah. I'm starting to remember bits and pieces, you know? One of the things I remember clearly is Jack, kissing me and telling me I was worth fighting for. I think he died."

Ianto laughed softly. "He can't die."

"Oh." She picked up one of the chicken wings and held it out for Myfanwy. "I don't remember that."

"Tell me what else you remember," Ianto said before taking a bite of pizza.

"A tall man with blue eyes and a leather jacket. Another with a bright smile and brown hair." She closed her eyes. "A big blue box. A blonde woman I think is my mum. The end of the world. Nurses with cat heads. Strange things."

"To anyone else, they would be. But I work for Torchwood."

She smiled, her eyes still closed. "Working for Torchwood. I think I remember that too."

"Yeah?"

She opened her eyes. After a moment, she nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure of it. I think I've even been here before."

"If you work for Torchwood, then you'll be in the system somewhere." Ianto started packing up the pizza box. He set the box of chicken wings out for Myfanwy and motioned for Briar to follow him. She gave the pterodactyl an affectionate pat on the head and climbed down from her nest.

Owen, Gwen and Toshiko were putting on their coats. Gwen looked at them as they approached. "We're heading to the pub. Coming?"

Ianto looked at Briar, who nodded. "Sure."

***

Gwen and Owen entertained Briar with stories of aliens and other strangeness they encountered at Torchwood. Ianto and Toshiko sat a little away from them, talking.

"Torchwood? Are you sure?" Tosh sipped her beer.

Ianto nodded. "She was sure of it. You should run the database through the facial recognition program. Maybe you'll get a hit."

"I've been working on that key she was wearing. It's not made of metal from Earth. Might be from wherever the other 1% of her is from." 

Owen called to them. "Oi, you lot. You going to ignore the rest of us all night then?"

Toshiko rolled her eyes and slid off the bar stool. Ianto followed her down the bar to their colleagues. "Were you feeling left out, Owen?" Toshiko inquired.

"Just missing your winning personality, Tosh." Owen smiled. His arm rested on the bar, very close to, but not quite touching Gwen.

"Do you always hang around together like this?" Briar gestured with her beer before taking a drink.

"Sometimes. More often since, well, since," Gwen trailed off.

"Since Jack left." Ianto finished, fixing Gwen with a pointed stare.

Briar was beginning to recognize the Torchwood team as a family. They were close, but often the relationships were tense. Each person cared about the others and they all felt the loss of their missing member. It made her wonder if she had her own family. She looked at Gwen. "I'll be back," she said and headed for the toilet. Gwen and Toshiko exchanged glances and followed Briar.

***

Owen turned to Ianto after the women left. "You're awfully chummy with our new guest."

Ianto took a drink of his beer. "It doesn't kill us to be nice."

"Introducing her to the dino? Lending her your clothes? You're not just being nice. You fancy her," Owen teased. Ianto glared at him, but didn't say anything. "You do!" Owen crowed.

This time, Ianto opened his mouth to reply. He saw the women coming back to the bar and leaned toward Owen. "Piss off, Owen."

Ianto let his face smooth into its professional mask, trying to hide the tension he felt. Owen glared at him and Ianto had to suppress the urge to slug the cocky bastard. Briar must have noticed something. She slid onto the bar stool next to Ianto.

"Everything alright?" she asked him. Ianto nodded. "Good." She squeezed his hand and smiled.

He happily smiled back.

***

Gwen was the first to leave the pub. "Rhys'll be wonderin' where I am," she said when they protested. "See you in the morning." She waved as she left.

Toshiko finished her own beer and shrugged on her coat. "I should be heading home too. Too many late nights at work, you know?" She smiled good night and left.

Owen looked at Briar critically. "You shouldn't be up too late either. Ianto, take her home."

"Yes, sir," Ianto's voice was heavily laced with sarcasm, especially on the word sir.

Briar slipped on the jacket she borrowed from Ianto. "He's right. Abrupt, but right. I'm tired. Good night, Owen." She took Ianto's arm and led him out of the pub. "Is Owen always a git?" she asked when they were down the block.

Ianto's lips quirked into a smile. "Sometimes. Okay, most of the time. He has been making more of an effort to be nice lately." He held the car door open for her to slide in. Ianto walked around to the other side and got in. "It's an act. I think sometime he just slips back into character." He started the car and pulled away from the curb. 

***

For the second night in a row, Ianto heard something coming from the guest room and climbed out of bed to investigate.

He knocked softly before opening the door. Briar lay curled on her side, her back to the door. Her body shook and he realized she was crying in her sleep. He slowly made his way to the edge of her bed. 

"Briar?" he whispered. There was no sign that the sleeping woman heard him. Her sobs were growing louder. He sat on the edge and put his hand on her back. "Briar?" he called again. 

"Ianto?" Her voice was so soft, he almost didn't hear her. After a moment, Ianto slid under the blankets with Briar and pulled her into his arms.

"Shh, Briar. It's going to be okay," he whispered. Her head rested on his chest and he stroked her hair. Her tears soaked into the front of his t-shirt. "Why're you crying?"

She shook her head. "Bad dream. I lost someone important and couldn't find them again." Briar leaned her head back to look at him. "Stay, please?"

"Until you fall back asleep," he agreed, rubbing calming circles on her back. Before long, Briar's breathing slowed and she was asleep again.

Ianto knew he should get up and leave now that Briar was asleep, but he couldn’t bring himself to. It had been so long since he's slept next to someone else and he's missed the closeness.

Even with Jack, there hadn't been this sort of simple togetherness. Every touch Jack gave had been laced with sexuality. Ianto never stayed the night with Jack, and he was never asked.

Briar curled herself tighter to Ianto's side, her hand pressed against his heart, her breath tickling the hollow of his throat. He tightened his arm around her and rested his cheek on the top of her head. Lisa sprang to mind. Beautiful, vibrant, alive Lisa, not the metal and flesh monster she'd been made into. The night before the Canary Wharf battle, the last night they had spent together, Lisa had curled against him, in the same position Briar was in now. His lips curved into a smile when he thought of that night, the memory no longer holding the pain it once had. Closing his eyes, he drifted to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Ianto and Briar were already at the Hub when Toshiko arrived. She checked the facial recognition software running on her computer. It had finished its search during the night, but failed to come up with a match.

Briar carried two mugs over to the desk. She held one out to Toshiko, who accepted it gratefully. "The program's finished," Toshiko said.

Briar looked at her hopefully. "And?"

She shook her head sadly. "Nothing. According to the files of the British government, you don't exist." Toshiko touched Briar's hand when she saw the younger woman's crestfallen look. "Don't worry. I won't stop looking yet. Oh, here. This is yours." Toshiko held out the key and chain.

"A key?" Briar turned it over in her hand.

Toshiko nodded. "You were wearing it when you arrived. I tried to see if it held any clues to your identity. All I learned is that the metal's not from Earth. It's alien."

Briar fastened the chain around her neck and flopped down in the chair at Owen's desk. "What does it mean that my picture's not in the system?"

Toshiko shrugged. "I don't know. There are millions of faces in the databases. If you're from here, you should be there somewhere. Unless,"

"Unless what?"

Toshiko swung around to her computer and started typing. "Unless you've been deleted from the system. It's possible."

"Who would do something like that?" Briar wondered aloud.

"Torchwood has for years." A hand touched Briar's shoulder. Briar and Toshiko jumped. Ianto ducked his head in apology. "Sorry."

"Why would Torchwood delete people from computer systems?" Briar asked.

"Safety and security. Those were the usual reasons. After the Battle of Canary Wharf, several of the agents who were on the list of the dead were removed from computer systems for security reasons," Ianto looked uncomfortable as he spoke.

Toshiko spun around. "They deleted heroes?" 

Ianto shook his head. "Nothing is deleted permanently. London had a standalone archival network in a secure location. Everything that was recovered after Canary Wharf was stored there. Their names are still in the archives. They were mentioned on the list of the dead. They just don't exist anywhere else." He looked at Briar for a moment. "Do you remember Canary Wharf?"

Briar shook her head. "I don't think so. What happened?"

Ianto and Toshiko both looked distinctly uncomfortable. Toshiko finally spoke up. "It was where Torchwood London was located. Two alien races, the Cybermen and the Daleks both tried to invade Earth at the same time. It was bad."

"A lot of people died. A lot of friends." Ianto's voice grew very quiet. Obviously, neither of them liked to talk about what had happened.

"What's a Dalek?" Briar asked.

"A giant genocidal pepper pot," Owen said from the doorway. Gwen followed right behind him. "Blondie, get out of my chair." Briar spun around and stuck out her tongue at Owen. "If that's an invitation...."

She ignored him and pushed herself out of his chair. She perched on the edge of Gwen's desk instead. "So how do we find out who I am now?" she asked Toshiko.

"I'm going to run the Torchwood database and a couple others through the facial recognition program. Other than that, I don't know," Toshiko admitted.

Owen slouched in his chair, feet up on his desk. "Do we know you weren't at Canary Wharf?"

The four other people in the room looked at him. "What?" Gwen asked.

"Do we know that Briar wasn't at Canary Wharf? I heard Ianto say that Torchwood removed people from the systems. How do we know that she isn't one of those, without going to London?" he repeated slowly, as if speaking to a group of small children.

"We would have direct access to the secure network in London," Ianto pointed out.

"I'd be able to finish the tests on Briar," Owen agreed. They looked at the women. Gwen and Tosh exchanged glances before shrugging.

"Whatever you lot think is best," Briar offered with a wan smile.

Gwen laid a hand on Briar's arm. "It would be dangerous. If we get caught, there'd be questions at the very least."

"If it's going to help me find out who I am, I think we should go," Briar said with conviction.

"It would only take us a few hours to get there. We could be there by mid-afternoon." Toshiko started gathering up some files and her laptop. 

Owen looked around at each of them. "If we're going, we should get moving. Meet back here by noon. We'll take the SUV."

Ianto spoke up. "Bring a nice outfit, something professional. London was a more formal branch than this one. If you show up in jeans, they'll know you don't belong."

"What about IDs and stuff? Security won't just let us waltz into the building and use the computers," Gwen pointed out.

"I'll take care of it," Ianto said and went to clean up the kitchen. Everyone got to work, tidying up and getting ready to leave. Briar helped Ianto until they left for his flat.

***

Briar tossed an outfit into a bag she'd borrowed from Ianto when she realized she didn't have anything nice. She crossed the hall into Ianto's room. "Ianto, Gwen and I only bought jeans and tops yesterday. I don't have anything appropriate. Nothing that would pass for professional."

He thought for a moment. "I'll call Tosh." He went into the living room and Briar could hear him on the phone. She took the opportunity to look around Ianto's bedroom.

It was nicely furnished with simple, dark wood pieces. A low bookshelf sat on one wall with several photos and knick-knacks on it, as well as books. She wandered towards them, feeling the tiniest pang of jealously at the sight of a happy Ianto with a young black woman. She moved on to the other photos of Ianto, these with people who looked like family, trying not to think too deeply about what she just felt. The books were an interesting, if somewhat eclectic mix and she thought if she stayed with him much longer, she might ask if she could borrow a couple. She smiled at the thought of staying with him for longer. 'That would be alright,' she thought.

Ianto's footsteps alerted her to his return and she moved away from the bookcase, remembering his reaction to her snooping yesterday. His face held a pleasant smile when he entered the room. "All set. Tosh is going to bring an extra suit for you."

Briar nodded. "Thanks." She started to back to her room, but stopped, hovering in the doorway. "Ianto?"

He looked back at her, curiosity written on his face. "Yes?"

"Thank you, for staying with me last night. You didn't have to and most people probably wouldn't have." She chewed on her lower lip for a moment. On impulse, she darted forward and gave him a hug.

Startled for a moment, he put his arms around her and returned the hug. "You're welcome."

She beamed a smile at him and went back into the guest room to finished packing. She carried her bag out into the living room where Ianto was waiting. He took her bag from her and walked out to the car, Briar following behind.

Owen and Gwen were waiting for them when they pulled into the parking garage. Toshiko pulled in as they set their bags in the back of the SUV. Everyone climbed into the vehicle, Owen driving, Gwen sitting in the front and Toshiko, Briar and Ianto in the back. Owen pulled out of the garage and headed for the motorway.

Briar watched the countryside speeding past them with interest for a while, until she began to doze off.

***

They'd been on the road for almost an hour when Ianto noticed Owen looking at him in the rear view mirror. "How has she been sleeping?" Owen called softly back. Briar's head rested on Ianto's shoulder. Toshiko and Gwen were also dozing.

"She had a bad dream last night. Woke up crying. Had one the night before too."

"It's to be expected. Her sleeping mind remembers things that her conscious mind doesn't know about. Bingo, causes nightmares." Owen's eyes left the mirror as they passed a road sign. "We'll be there in about an hour."

Ianto nodded and looked down at their hands, fingers entwined, a small smile passing over his lips. He let his eyes shut as he rested his cheek on the top of Briar's head.

***

"We're here," Owen called out to wake the team as he pulled into the hotel car park. Everyone climbed out of the SUV, stretching and groaning. They pulled their bags out of the back and headed inside.

Ianto procured two rooms for them and led them up to the third floor. The girls took one room and the boys the other, a connecting door in between. Gwen opened the connecting door when Owen knocked.

"You lot want supper?" He pushed into the girls' room and flopped down on one of the beds.

Toshiko gave him a smack on the leg. "Get off my bed, you prat."

"Ooo, Tosh, such language," Owen teased, sitting up. "Me an' Ianto were thinking of heading out and seeing what’s around. Interested?"

"I'll go," Briar said. "I just want to freshen up a bit from the drive."

"We'll come too." Gwen agreed. Toshiko nodded. "Give us a bit, will ya?" She pushed Owen out of the room and shut the adjoining door.

***

"Ianto." 

Someone shook him, calling his name. Ianto rolled over and opened his eyes. Gwen stood at the side of his bed, looking worried. "What?"

"Briar's having a nightmare. She won't wake up." Gwen looked nervously back towards the adjoining door.

Briar's name sent Ianto into action. He didn't stop to wonder what about her made him want to keep her safe as he pushed his blankets back, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Alright." He followed Gwen in to the girls' room. Briar thrashed about on her bed. Toshiko stood next to the bed, looking worried. He moved to Briar's side and touched her shoulder. 

"Briar? Wake up, Briar." He gave her a shake and called a little louder. "Briar, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open. She looked around the room in panic before settling on Ianto. "Ianto?"

"You had another bad dream?" Briar nodded. "Want me to sit with you?"

"Please." She moved over to make room for him and he crawled under the covers with her. Briar slipped into Ianto's arms, her head resting on his chest.

Gwen and Toshiko exchanged glances, but climbed back into bed when they were sure everything was alright.

***

"What happened last night?" Owen asked. He, Ianto and Gwen sat at a table in the hotel restaurant waiting for Toshiko and Briar to come down from the room. The waitress brought their orders and Gwen waited until she left before answering.

"Briar had a nightmare. Tosh and I couldn't wake her so I came in to get Ianto." Gwen bit into a sausage.

"She wanted me to sit with her. I fell asleep." Ianto spread some jam onto his toast.

Owen looked concerned. "If she wants, I can get her some sleeping tablets." 

Ianto nodded. "I'll ask her." He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a set of maps. "Here's the plan. Gwen's our driver. She'll drop you and Briar at Guys Hospital first." 

"Where're we goin' once there?" Owen shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"The scanner you need is on the fourteenth floor, in a locked lab. It hasn't been in use since it was moved there. From what I've read, it's an easy piece of equipment to use. Your lab is here. Lifts are here and here. Stairs, just in case. If anything seems off, take the stairs." Ianto sipped his coffee. "Once we drop you off, Gwen'll drive to CityPoint. Tosh and I will access the archives. There is one computer that can access the secure server and it's here." He switched maps and pointed to a small room in the third lower basement. 

Gwen fiddled with her ear piece before putting it on. "I'll be on the north side of the building, with the SUV running. When you're finished, head to the Tate Modern. We'll meet you there."

"Here's your ID card. Owen, you'll need this pin code to get into the lab. If security shows up, just act like you belong there." Ianto handed out the forged Torchwood ID cards. They were exact copies of the ones he and Lisa had used at Torchwood London, with the correct level of security access.

Owen snorted. "Yeah, thanks for the advice, Ianto. 'Cause you've been on so many undercover jobs."

Ianto fixed him with a look. "What do you really know about me?"

Owen sat up straighter, ready for a go at Ianto when Gwen put her hand on his. "You don't have the time for this. You need to be on top of things today." Ianto and Owen shot each other quasi-apologetic looks and Gwen sighed. "That's probably as good as I'm going to get, isn't it?"

Briar and Toshiko joined them in the hotel dining room and Ianto filled them in on the plan. After everyone had eaten, they went back up to the rooms to grab their stuff while Ianto checked out. They met back at the SUV, ready for their various missions. Gwen drove, mixing in with the morning commuter traffic as she headed for Guys Hospital. She parked in the visitor's car park and let Briar and Owen out. Ianto squeezed Briar's hand as she climbed out. She waved as the SUV pulled away. 

Both Owen and Briar dressed in suits, with crisp white doctor's coats over them. They had clipped the ID cards from Ianto onto their lapels. As they walked into the building, Owen began a steady stream of chatter. To anyone listening, it sounded like juicy office gossip. Briar fixed a look of rapt attention onto her face. They walked right past security to the bank of lifts.

"Did anyone look up?" Owen asked quietly as he pushed the up button. Briar shook her head. "Good," he muttered before starting up the stream of gossip again. "And then, he just got up on the table and started dancing. It was ridiculous, especially for a supervisor. Can you believe that?"

"He wasn't even reprimanded?" Briar tried to sound incredulous. The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding and Owen guided her into the car, a hand at the small of her back.

"Not a thing. Not even a verbal warning." The doors slid shut and he breathed a sigh of relief. "If I had to do that for much longer, I might have gone mad."

Briar giggled. She pushed the button for the fourteenth floor.


	7. Chapter 7

Fifteen minutes after she dropped off Owen and Briar at the hospital, Gwen parked down the block from the CityPoint building and let Ianto and Toshiko out. "Keep in touch," she called as they got out. Ianto nodded and shut the door firmly.

The guards paid no attention to them when they walked through the lobby to the lifts. Ianto moved to the last lift in the row and pushed the down button. He slid his ID card through the reader and the doors opened. He motioned for Toshiko to go in before following her.

"Ianto?" Toshiko called as he pushed the button for Lower Basement Three. He glanced over his shoulder at her. "How do you know where we're going? You know so much about what happened after Canary Wharf. Why is that? Most of us were so lost afterwards."

He turned to face her. "Tosh, when this is all over and we're back in Cardiff, I promise we'll go out for a drink and I'll answer any questions you have. Right now, the walls may have ears." She nodded in understanding. 

When the doors slid open, Ianto led her down a dimly lit hallway to a small office. Inside they found a bank of computer servers and a lone workstation.

Ianto sat down at the computer and logged in using a stolen password. Toshiko watched nervously over his shoulder. There were a few tense moments while the computer processed the login. When the main screen popped up, they both breathed a sigh of relief. Ianto opened up a search program and typed in Canary Wharf. Several files, documents and a video file were found.

"Try this one." Toshiko suggested.

Ianto clicked on the file name. A list of names appeared. Each one linked to another file. "We can eliminate the men. And I knew some of these people." He scanned down the list, occasionally clicking on a name. This would bring up a dossier with a photo, vital statistics and work history on the person. So far, none of them were Briar.

Toshiko looked at the list. "What about this one?" She pointed to a name two-thirds down the list. Ianto clicked on it and they found themselves staring at Briar's face.

Ianto smiled. "There she is. Rose Tyler." He read the brief blurb under her photo. "She was one of the heroes of the battle." He plugged a flash drive into the computer and copied all the Canary Wharf files. "As soon as this is done, we'll get out of here," he told her.

Toshiko touched her ear piece. "Gwen, we're almost done."

Gwen responded. "Tosh, are you on your way up?"

"We're just finishing up."

"Let me know when you're on ground level."

When the files were finished copying, Ianto shut the open windows and unplugged his flash drive. He tucked into his inside pocked and shut down the machine.

"This area is off limits. Who are you and what are you doing here?" A booming voice called from behind them.

Toshiko spun around startled, but Ianto turned more slowly. He regarded the security guard before speaking.

"Jones and Smith, Special Circumstances. We needed a file from the secure server." Ianto's voice held an air of authority Toshiko had never heard before.

"What file? No one alerted security you'd be here." The guard watched them suspiciously.

"Our mission is classified, Officer," Ianto leaned forward to read the guard's name badge, "Morris. Special Circumstances and all." Ianto took Toshiko's arm and tried to guide her around the guard but he refused to budge.

"I'll just see some ID, then you can go." The guard held out his hand.

With a glare that would have made any supervisor proud, Ianto reached into his jacket and pulled out the ID badge. He showed it to the guard. "All it would take is one phone call and you would be reassigned. Fancy custodial duty?"

The guard swallowed noticeably. "Yes, well, this seems to be in order. And the lady?" Toshiko glanced at Ianto and produced her own badge. "Right. Next time make sure you check in with security when you come in." The guard handed both badges back with a nod.

"Absolutely. You keep a fine ship here, Officer Morris. Keep up the good work." Ianto led Toshiko out of the office.

"Thank you, sir," the guard called after them.

They walked as fast as they could without looking suspicious through the halls to a side door.

"Aren't we going to the lift?" Toshiko asked as they headed in the other direction.

Ianto shook his head. "Stairs. We'll go out the front door, but I don't want to give them the chance to stop us before then."

Ianto and Toshiko reached the ground level. They took a deep breath and walked through the lobby, ready to bolt if needed. No one called to them and they were safely outside in moments. "Gwen, we’re outside and on our way," Toshiko called.

"I'm just around the corner," Gwen told her in return.

***

Owen grabbed the pages from the printer, copied the files to a flash drive and erased the findings. He tucked everything into his pockets and turned to Briar. "Ready?"

"This doesn't seem really easy to you?"

"Absolutely. Which means the faster we get out of here, the better." He motioned for her to head down the hallway to the lifts. They were heading for the front entrance when someone called to them.

Owen grabbed Briar's hand. "Ignore it and walk faster."

"Hey, you!" The sound of running feet came from behind them. Just as they reached the sliding doors, a hand clamped down on Briar's arm. She turned. The security guard let go of her arm. "You dropped your ID back there."

She took it with a shaking hand. "Thank you." Her voice sounded remarkably steady. She gave him a smile and let Owen pull her out the door.

The guard nodded and watched them leave. "You're welcome, doctor."

"That was not fun," Owen muttered as they turned down St. Thomas Street. He stuck his hand out to hail a taxi. He held the door open for Briar and she slid inside. "Tate Modern, please," he said as soon as the door was closed.

***

Owen and Briar sat quietly nursing cups of coffee at a table in the café, waiting for the other team members to arrive. "What did the scanner say?" Briar finally asked.

Owen shook his head. "I want to look over the reports before I come to any conclusions."

Briar snorted. "Very diplomatic of you. You sound like every doctor with bad news."

"There they are." Owen deftly changed the subject and stood up. Gwen, Toshiko and Ianto were walking across the café towards them. Briar and Owen met them halfway.

"Let's get out of London," Gwen said tightly. 

Owen fell in step with her. "Trouble?"

She shook her head. "No. Just traffic."

When they reached the SUV, Gwen handed the keys to Owen. "You drive?" she asked and climbed into the back. Briar climbed into the middle and Ianto next to her. Toshiko got into the passenger seat next to Owen. He started the SUV and pulled out of the car park. 

"Did you find me in the computer?" Briar finally asked; an excited gleam in her eye.

Toshiko nodded. "You're name is Rose Tyler."

"Rose," Rose repeated. "That's nice. I like it."

"You were one of the heroes of the Canary Wharf battle," Ianto told her.

Owen grinned. "Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth."

Her smile faded. "Someone else called me that once," she said softly. Ianto squeezed her hand affectionately.

***

They stopped at a roadside restaurant for a late lunch, so it was early evening when they returned to Cardiff. Gwen pulled into the Torchwood parking garage next to their cars.

"Sure. I'll see you all tomorrow," Toshiko called as she retrieved her bag from the back. She threw her bag into her car and got in.

"Bye, Tosh," they called and waved as she pulled away.

Ianto and Rose climbed into Ianto's car and waved as they drove off. 

Gwen leaned into the SUV to retrieve her handbag. When she straightened, Owen was standing right next to her.

He leaned close and peered at her. "Is Rhys expecting you?" Gwen shook her head. Owen leaned over, pulling the neck of her top to the side so he could place a kiss on her collarbone.  
"Come home with me."

"Yeah," she said with no hesitation.


	8. Chapter 8

Ianto let Rose into his flat. He set the bags on the floor, tossed his keys on the side table and shrugged off his coat. He took Rose's coat and hung them both up.

"Rose," he started.

She picked up her bag and turned down the hallway. "I'm going to change."

Ianto watched her go with a sigh. Once she was in her room, he followed her down the hallway to his own room and changed into pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. When he was done, he went into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of wine out of the cabinet. He found two glasses and opened the wine before carrying everything into the lounge. He had a feeling they were going to need something stronger than tea tonight.

Rose appeared in the doorway to the lounge. Even though she had her own clothes now, she still wore his pajamas to bed. He had to admit he liked it. Tonight, she also wore his dressing gown.

"I hope you don't mind. I'm cold." She had it wrapped tightly about herself as she sat down on the couch, tucking her feet up under it.

He shook his head and poured the wine. "It looks good on you." He handed her a glass of wine.

"No tea tonight?" She sipped the wine, still curled up.

"I thought we might need something stronger tonight. It's been a long day."

She nodded. "Yes, it has." She leaned her head back against the couch. "Who knew I saved the world? What else did you find?"

"I copied all the files on Canary Wharf. There was a video file as well."

"Finding out who I am didn't solve anything. It just created more questions." Rose set her wine on the coffee table. "Hopefully, the answers are in those files." She leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling. "Ianto, can I ask you a question? I'm not trying to pry."

"Go ahead."

"Who's the woman in the pictures in your bedroom?"

He took a large gulp of his wine. "Her name was Lisa. She was my girlfriend when I worked in London."

"What happened to her?" She tilted her head to one side, watching him.

Ianto could feel emotion flowing over his face. "She got caught when the Cybermen invaded. They didn't- She was-" Rose put her hand on his for support. "She died in the battle."

"I'm sorry. It's hard to lose someone." She scooted closer to him.

"I still miss her, but it gets easier. You said you lost someone once. The other night, when you had the bad dream." He put his arm on the back of the couch, his hand resting on her shoulder.

"I don't know who he was, but I miss him." She smiled. "Wow, did this conversation turn morbid."

Ianto laughed and leaned toward her. His hand slipped up the side of her neck, into her hair. She leaned forward and their lips met. The kiss was soft and hesitant. Rose put her hands on Ianto's shoulders to steady herself.

Ianto lifted his head and opened his eyes. "I'm sorry, Rose. I shouldn't have-"

She placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "I'm not." She leaned in and kissed him again. Her fingers wove into his hair.

Ianto's arms went around her back, holding her closely. A moment later, he pushed her gently away. "I can't."

Rose looked at him in confusion. "Ianto, what is it?"

"I can't get involved. Not again." He slumped back on the couch. Ianto threw her a sidelong glance. "Everyone I get involved with leaves me. It hurts too much. You don't know if there's someone out there looking for you. You'll leave me too."

Rose got to her feet. "Are you never going let yourself feel again? Just because you're afraid someone might leave you? How sad." Her voice wasn't loud or angry. She shook her head and headed down the hall.

Ianto heaved a sigh and drank the rest of his wine. He slouched further onto the couch. She was right. He acted like an idiot because he out of fear. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to get rid of this nervous energy. For the first time ever, Ianto wished he was just a little more like Owen. Taking a deep breath, he got to his feet.

He didn't find Rose in her room. He kept going down the hallway and saw her leaning against the window in his room. His dressing gown lay draped across the end of the bed. She wore only his t-shirt.

Ianto crossed the room to her. He turned her around and kissed her, one hand buried in her hair, the other at the small of her back, pressing her body against his. She slid her hand over his chest and up to his neck. He trailed a line of kisses over her jaw line and down her throat.

As he kissed her, he walked her toward his bed. She laughed when he pushed her backwards and she landed with a bounce. She crawled to the center of his bed and he followed her, settling between her legs, pushing her into the bed as he kissed her, wanting to show her he wasn't going to be afraid any more.

***

Rose drifted slowly awake, aware of the warm, solid body next to her. She opened her eyes and in the soft early morning light she could see Ianto was still sleeping. One arm was thrown over her stomach possessively. She turned onto her back and his arm tightened around her. 

"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered to him. 

He muttered something incoherent and tucked his head into her shoulder. Rose wrapped an arm around his body and let herself go back to sleep.

The phone ringing woke them up the second time. Ianto leaned over Rose's body to pick up the receiver. " 'Llo?"

Rose trailed a hand over his stomach as he leaned back against his pillow, the phone pressed to his ear. "That's fine. We'll be in," he leaned over and looked at the clock, "in an hour." He captured the hand she'd had on his stomach, entwining his own fingers with hers. "See you later." He hung up the phone and set it on the night table on his side of the bed before turning back to Rose. He lifted her captured hand to his lips, pressing kisses to the tips of each finger. "That was Tosh."

"What'd she want?" She snuggled close to Ianto, one leg thrown over his. Her hand moved downward over his stomach, and lower to his growing erection. 

"Me to bring in some coffee. We're out at the Hub." Ianto gasped as she stroked him with featherlike touches. 

"How long did you say we have?" she inquired with a devilish grin.

***

It was closer to two hours by the time they were showered, dressed and had shopped for coffee. When they arrived at the Hub, take out coffee in hand to tide the team over until Ianto could get some brewing, Rose saw Gwen and Owen sharing a knowing look. After he'd gotten the coffee going, Ianto set Rose up at a computer station with the flash drive.

"You go through these first. You can tell us what you find." He gave her shoulder a squeeze before leaving her alone.

Rose watched the video clip over and over. The man in it was the man from her dreams. Every time the wall reappeared and he leaned against it in despair, her heart hurt. Her mind filled in an image of herself, leaning against a similar wall, the same look of despair on her face.

When she couldn't take the pain any longer, Rose started reading the documents. The list of the hundreds of dead contained her name in alphabetical order, just after Jackie Tyler, her mother. There were entries from the survivors, the few men and women left in high enough power to put the archives together. She skipped over the autopsies of the victims of the Cybermen and the damage assessments of Torchwood Tower.

One particular document drew her attention, a brief dossier on a man called the Doctor. She read it over twice, looking at the attached picture. She recognized the man from the video clip, the man from her dreams. According to the file, he was an alien, something called a Time Lord, age unknown. Her name was listed in the file as something called a companion. It listed her last known address as Flat 48, Bucknall House, Powell Estate in London and said she'd been reported missing for a year before she showed up again, claiming to have been traveling. There were several references to other files that weren't on the flash drive. 

One of the survivor's entries described, to some extent, the final hour of the battle. The Doctor had put together a plan to open something called the Void, sucking all the Cybermen and Daleks out of this world. Rose had stayed behind to help him. When the Torchwood agents returned to the room, Rose had disappeared. The Doctor hadn't given them any more information about it before he stormed off. She knew what had happened from the video clip.

Rose rubbed her eyes and stood up. She closed all her open files, disconnected the flash drive and wandered up to the tourist information centre. Ianto worked in the small office in the back. Rose pushed through the beaded curtain and flopped down in the spare chair with a heavy sigh.

He reached for two mugs and an electric kettle. "What did you learn?"

Rose accepted a cup of tea from Ianto. "I disappeared during the battle and was listed with the dead. So was my mum, Jackie. I was there with the Doctor, the man from my dreams with the big, blue box. It's called a TARDIS. And I think I loved him, because I feel so lost when I see him in the video." Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked them back. "I lived on the Powell Estate in London, until I started traveling with the Doctor. There are some other files listed about the Doctor that aren't on the drive. Do we have access to them?"

Ianto rolled his own chair over next to Rose, sipping his tea. "I'm sure we do. I'll ask Tosh to get them for us."

She handed him the flash drive. "I feel better knowing more about me, but it's weird. They still don't feel like my memories."

"I'm sure it'll come back to you." He stood up and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "If anyone comes to the desk, just give me a call. I'm going to bring this to Tosh."

Rose nodded and slid further down in her chair, spinning lazily. "Thanks, Ianto."

Ianto took the lift down to the Hub, and walked over to Toshiko's desk, humming under his breath.

"You seem happy today, Ianto," she commented.

He stopped and nodded. "I am in a good mood today."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with your house guest, would it?" she teased gently.

Ianto blushed and Toshiko laughed. He leaned against her desk. "It might."

She touched his hand. "Just be careful, Ianto. I don't want to see you get hurt again. Rose might have someone looking for her."

"We talked about that last night. Don't worry about me, Tosh."

"You're my friend, Ianto. I'll always worry about you."

He looked down, a quiet smile of thanks crossing his face. "Can you look up some files for Rose?" He handed her the flash drive. "She said one of the files had a list of other files referencing the Doctor. She's in those files."

"I'll see what I can do."

***

Rose moved through the Hub in search of Owen. She found him in the autopsy bay. "Tell me what I am," she demanded. "Stop stalling."

He gestured for her to sit on the table. "The non-human part of you is energy. It's almost like Rift energy, but not quite."

"How did I become part energy? Is it because I came through the Rift?" Rose chewed on her thumbnail. 

Owen shook his head. "I don't think so. This looks like it's been a part of you for a while."

"Is it hurting me?"

"Not from what I can see. If anything, it seems to be keeping you healthier than average. Can you remember the last time you had a cold or were sick?"

Rose shook her head. "What does that mean, though? I can't remember much."

Owen helped her down from the table. "Hey now, you're getting better. You said you've been remembering more."

Rose threw her arms around Owen in a quick hug. "Thank you."

He hugged her back awkwardly. "You're welcome."

***

Toshiko found dozens of files on the Doctor. She printed off any files that also mentioned Rose. Gathering the pile of pages, she went in search of Ianto and Rose. 

Ianto was dusting Jack's office. He looked up when she approached. 

"I've found what you're looking for."

He nodded. "Bring them to the Boardroom. We can read there."

Ianto followed Toshiko to the Boardroom. Rose was already there, reading a book she'd borrowed from Ianto. She looked up when they came in.

"I've found several files on the Doctor that mention you also." Toshiko spread the files out on the table. Rose set her book aside and picked up one of the files. Gwen and Owen joined them a little while later and the team fell silent, reading about Rose's life with the Doctor.

"God, Torchwood was obsessed with this man," Gwen finally said. "They've tracked him all through time. I wonder why?"

Ianto looked up from his own file. "Queen Victoria created Torchwood after she met the Doctor. She wanted to protect the British Empire from all things supernatural and alien. Someone was always assigned to watch for any signs of him."

Toshiko agreed. "Remember that alien spaceship hoax in London a few years back? I was working with UNIT at the time and I met a man who called himself the Doctor. But he didn't look like this."

"I was at Downing Street with him. It wasn't a hoax. There really were aliens trying to destroy the world. They were called uh, um" Rose screwed up her face, trying to remember. "Oh, I don't remember."

"Slitheen," Gwen answered for her. Rose looked at her in surprise. Gwen held up the file she was reading. "I've got that file. Did you really meet Harriet Jones?"

Rose nodded. "I think so. Prime Minister, right?" They all nodded. She picked up one of the discarded files and started reading. This one was earlier in her life, something about shop window dummies and living plastic. Her head started to hurt with all the information she had to take in.

"I need to get out of here for a while," Rose said suddenly, pushing back from the table. She turned and left the Boardroom.

Everyone turned to look at Ianto. "What?" he finally asked.

"Go after her." Gwen gave him a nudge in Rose's direction. "She wants some company."

Owen nodded. "She shouldn't be alone anyway. Just in case."

***

Ianto hurried after Rose. He caught up with her in the Tourist Centre. He turned the open sign to read closed and they headed out into the fresh air.

"You alright?" he asked, after they walked for a little while.

She nodded. "I just needed some fresh air. Everything was suddenly feeling very close in there."

He reached out and took her hand in his as they walked. 

They watched the sun go down over the bay. Rose leaned against Ianto, her head on his shoulder. He looked at her, watching the disappearing sun paint her face in extraordinary shades of gold and pink. "You're beautiful," he said simply.

She lifted her head and turned towards him. Ianto leaned down and kissed her. She kissed him back, one hand tangling in the short hair on the back of his head. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head when they broke apart.

"I'm glad I came here," she pronounced. He lifted his head and threw her a questioning glance. "I met you. Even if I have to go back, I got to meet you."

He looked serious. "I'm glad too."

Rose's forehead furrowed and she started scrambling at her neck. "It's hot," she exclaimed. She pulled the key out by the chain.

The key was glowing. Rose looked at Ianto, her eyes wide. He grabbed her hand and they headed back to Torchwood.


	9. Chapter 9

Ianto stepped into the Hub, Rose close behind him. There was a great deal of noise coming from the Jack's office.

"I thought no one went in there," Rose said. Ianto didn't reply. Hope that had died months ago now sparked to life. He pushed it down, unwilling to be disappointed yet again.

They climbed the stairs to Jack's office, Ianto clinging to Rose's hand. When they approached the door, he could see the back of a man standing by the desk. The newcomer wore black leather trousers and a white t-shirt.

Looking around at the team, Ianto noticed Toshiko's eyes were red and damp. Gwen beamed as they came in, but tears were streaming down her face. Even Owen looked a bit shaken.

"Ianto, look-" Gwen said more, but Ianto didn’t hear her. The man had turned around, a warm smile on his familiar face.

" 'Lo, Ianto. Miss me?" Jack asked playfully.

Ianto stared at him in shock. A rush of joy hit him, followed quickly by relief that Jack was alright. Ianto tried desperately to keep the emotions from his face. Finally, anger eclipsed everything else and he did the only thing he could think of. He punched Jack.  
"Welcome back, sir," he ground out. Rose looked at Ianto, concern written across her face. He clenched his jaw, trying to keep back tears that threatened to escape.

When Jack went down, the team jumped to action. Gwen knelt next to Jack. Owen and Toshiko put themselves between Ianto and Jack. Ianto could see Jack getting to his feet, straining to see the person standing with Ianto.

"Who's this? You hire someone to replace me, Owen?" There it was again, that familiar joking manner. Something inside Ianto raged at Jack's ability to make jokes when all Ianto felt was pain. He moved to protect Rose, to keep her from Jack, but it was too late. Jack had seen her.

"Rose?" Before Ianto could do or say anything, Jack had her in a fierce hug. "Oh my god, Rose. What are you doing here? The Doctor told me some tale about you in an alternate universe." He prattled on. Ianto noticed, with some relief, that she didn't return his hug.

"Rose," Jack pulled back from her, "what's wrong?"

Ianto reached forward and pulled her out of Jack's arms. "She doesn't remember anything, sir." _'She doesn't remember you, sir,'_ he implied silently, wanting just a little bit to hurt Jack. Ianto noticed a flicker of jealousy pass over Jack's features.

"She's got amnesia," Owen spoke up. "Though it's getting better."

Jack looked at Rose, standing in the circle of Ianto's arms. "Does anyone know what happened? How did she get here?"

"We're fairly certain Rose came through the Rift. There was a significant disturbance at the same time she appeared," Toshiko explained.

"Most of what I remember comes from reading the files. The rest is in bits and pieces." Rose let Ianto guide her to a chair. "I remember you, though."

Jack's smiled softened. "You do?" Rose nodded. Ianto saw the rest of the team exchange uncomfortable looks. No one noticed Ianto's look of pained jealousy. Had Jack ever looked at him that way? Had Rose?

Jack knelt down in front of Rose, taking her hands in his. "What do you remember?" 

"I was in here and I saw this picture of you. I knew your name and I remember you kissing me. You said-"

"You are so worth fighting for," he finished for her. "I was right." He took her face in his hands and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. She looked surprised when he leaned back. 

Ianto slipped out the door while no one was watching. He couldn't take watching Jack and Rose together. And to make matters worse, he couldn't decide which one he was jealous of. Once out of sight, he ran, climbing the ladders to Myfanwy's nest. 

The pterodactyl was out hunting. Ianto didn't care, he'd come up here to hide, not to play with the dinosaur. He slid down the wall, breath hitching, until tears started falling. Once they did, he fell to the side, curling up and sobbing. He pressed his hand to his mouth to prevent any sound from escaping and giving away his hiding spot. He was not only losing Jack again, but now he was losing Rose as well. He'd said he wouldn’t get attached, wouldn't care for Rose, but he'd lied to himself.

He didn't know how long he had been lying on the floor, silently bawling. The noise of someone coming up the ladder made him sit up, ineffectually wiping at his face.

"Ianto?" It was Rose.

A handful of tissues appeared before him and he took them gratefully. He wiped his face and blew his nose.

"Are you alright, Ianto? We got scared when you disappeared." She reached out a tentative hand to his shoulder. 

He put his hand over hers. "Sorry, Rose." Ianto took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "It's Jack. I thought it'd be different when he came back. Maybe I'd even convinced myself he wasn't coming back."

"I'm not making things easier, am I?"

He tried to smile at her. "Are you alright?" He wanted to take the focus off of himself.

She nodded. "I think so. What are we going to do, Ianto?"

He shook his head. "I don't know." Ianto drew her into his arms. She held him tightly, leaning against him.

"Everyone went to the Boardroom. We'd better go before they come looking for us," Rose said against his chest.

Ianto nodded and nudged her towards the entrance to the nest.

***

Jack glanced up when Rose and Ianto appeared. He watched Ianto seat Rose in a chair as far from Jack as he could get.

"I'll get coffee." Ianto wore his professional mask again.

Jack nodded enthusiastically. "I missed your coffee, Ianto. For all her advanced technology, the TARDIS can't manage a decent coffee." Ianto nodded politely and went to the kitchen.

Rose was staring at Jack. He tilted his head to the side and watched her with interest. The thought that this wasn't really Rose passed through his mind very briefly, but he dismissed it. Silence enveloped the Boardroom until Ianto returned with the coffee. He passed out the mugs then stood behind Rose's chair.

Jack closed his eyes, breathing in the aroma of the coffee before taking a sip. Ianto had fixed it exactly the way he liked. "Mmm, perfect. Thanks Ianto." He set down the mug and looked at Rose. "The Doctor said that you were stuck on an alternate Earth, with your mum and Mickey. He said your dad was there too?" Jack looked at Rose. She looked back blankly, so he continued on. "You and the Doctor opened the void and sucked the Cybermen and Daleks in. Saved the world again."

"Except for where she was afterwards, we knew all that," Owen snarked. "We saw the CCTV clip, read the files."

"The Doctor thinks you're still in the alternate universe. I have to get him back. He'll be able to help you." Jack looked excited at the prospect. Without a Torchwood London, the Doctor was in no danger if he came to visit Torchwood Three.

"A lot of what I remember, and I use that word loosely, comes from the files I've been reading and videos I've been watching. I'm not sure what I truly remember and what I've just been exposed to," Rose finally said. "We only learned my name was Rose yesterday."

Gwen spoke up. "I'll show what we've been looking at. You've probably seen it already, but then you'll have some idea of what Rose knows."

"Sir," Ianto said from his place behind Rose's chair, "may I take Rose home? It's been a very long day and she still needs her sleep." 

Jack nodded. "Of course. We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir." Ianto held a hand out to Rose. She slipped her hand in his and followed him out of the Boardroom, without even a backwards glance at Jack.

Jack watched them leave with interest. "When did that happen?" he mused aloud.

Toshiko answered. "Rose's been good for Ianto, Jack. He hasn't been as melancholy since she arrived."

"Yeah, she does that." Jack turned to look at his team. They looked back expectantly, excited expressions on their faces. Gwen looked like she couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry and she'd been hovering close to him since he'd returned. Owen flip-flopped between shooting him angry glances and relief at not having to be in charge any longer. Toshiko's expression was one of pure joy. "So, show me these files," he finally said.

***

Rose silently followed Ianto out of the Hub. When they reached his car, he turned to her. "Are you really okay?"

"I don't remember enough not to be. Are you?" She laid a hand on his cheek.

His hand covered hers. "I will be. Let’s go home." He opened her door and she slid in, buckling her seatbelt as he shut the door behind her.

Rose watched Ianto as he drove them home. He kept glancing in her direction, an amused smile on his lips. After he parked on the street down from his flat and turned the car off, he leaned over the center console and kissed her.

"What was that for?" she asked when they pulled away from one another.

He shrugged and opened his door.

Once inside, there were few words between them. Jack's return seemed to spurn a need to prove that they meant something to one another, whatever it was. Clothes were shed as they made their way down the hall, hands and lips on each other. They came together feverishly, and after, laid together in a peaceful stupor before falling asleep.

It was a banging on his door that woke Ianto from this peace. He wasn't sure how long it'd been going on before he woke, but hoped it hadn't been too long, for the sake of his neighbors.

Rose never moved when he climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms. He silently padded to the door and leaned against it.

"Who is it?" Ianto asked as softly as he could.

"Jack."

Ianto cursed at the reply he received. If he didn't open the door, Jack would stand outside all night. Or worse, he'd figure a way to let himself in. With a sigh, he unlocked the door and threw it open.

"What'd you want?" he asked, none too politely.

"Hey, Ianto." Jack gave him a boyish smile.

Ianto leaned against the doorframe, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. "Hello, sir."

Jack peered into the dark flat. "Where's Rose?" He kept his voice low.

"Sleeping. It's late," Ianto said pointedly.

Jack had the good sense to look chagrinned. "Did I wake you?"

Ianto shrugged. "Did you want something?"

"You. But I'll settle for a place to sleep."

"You don't sleep."

"Didn't. Do now and I can't at the Hub. It's too quiet. I need to be near you. Please."

Finally, Ianto relented. He stepped back and let Jack in. He shut and locked the door before heading back to his bedroom.

Jack followed down the hall to the dark bedroom. He undressed as Ianto crawled back into bed.

"Rose?" Jack heard Ianto call softly and realized the bed wasn't empty.

"Hmm?" A blonde head appeared from under the covers.

"Jack's here." Jack didn't hear Rose's response. Ianto chuckled very softly. "You want me in the middle?" A mumbled response and some shifting around as Ianto crawled over Rose to the center of the bed and she moved into the spot he'd just vacated.

Jack stood at the side of the bed for a moment, looking at Ianto curled around Rose, before crawling in next to Ianto. He spooned up behind Ianto, wrapping an arm around Ianto's middle. "Thanks, Ianto."

"You're welcome, sir." Ianto's response was muffled, but his hand rested on Jack's for a moment. It wasn't long before his breathing slowed and Ianto was asleep. Jack let his hand stroke Ianto's stomach. He was surprised to find bare skin when he touched Rose's back. She was also sleeping, her breath soft and even.

It gave him something to think about, Ianto and Rose. He lay in Ianto's bed, curled up against the man, wondering what was going on between the companion and the office manager. Eventually, Jack slipped off to sleep and his mind drifted away from them.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, Rose woke first. She turned so she was facing Ianto and watched him sleep. A familiar male hand was resting on his stomach. She lifted herself up to look at Jack. He was also still sleeping, his face peaceful and calm. With a sigh, she pushed the covers back and climbed out of bed. She padded naked over to the door and grabbed Ianto's dressing gown from the hook. Slipping it on, she glanced back at the bed. Jack was awake and watching her.

Rose pulled the belt tighter around her waist and Jack chuckled. She went into her room to get some clothes before heading to the shower.

When she came out, Jack was gone. Ianto was waiting in the kitchen with a mug of coffee. She accepted it with a kiss. "Where's Jack?"

"Went back to Torchwood. He didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

Rose leaned against him. "I'm more worried about you. You're the one he left."

Ianto smiled, but Rose could see the anger and tension hiding behind it. "Don't worry about me, Rose. I'll be fine."

***

As she puttered around the Hub that day, something dawned on Rose. The Torchwood team was trying to protect Ianto from Jack, and in turn, protect her from Jack. Since his arrival yesterday, she'd found herself in the company of Toshiko, Owen or Gwen whenever she was in the Hub. She'd noticed Toshiko and Gwen taking turns hanging around with Ianto as well.

Owen currently had her organizing his old reports. He kept glancing her direction, an odd smirk on his lips. Finally, he rolled his chair over to her. 

She looked up with a sigh. "What?"

"You and Ianto, huh?"

"Me and Ianto, what?" She set the files she was working on down. He gave her a lecherous look. Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh, grow up." She shook her head and walked away in search of Toshiko or Gwen.

"What 'bout the files?" he called after her.

"Do your own damn filing," she yelled back.

Rose found Gwen and Ianto in the archive. They looked up when she came in.

"Owen finally drive you mad?" Gwen asked with a smile.

Rose nodded. "Something like that. What're you doing?"

"Just some cataloguing and reorganizing." Ianto pulled a box off a shelf and brought it to the table against the back wall. "What's he done?"

"Nothing. Just bein' nosy." She looked into the box. "What's in here?"

Gwen looked at the cover of the box. "Says it's pieces of the Sycorax ship that was destroyed a few years ago."

"The Doctor was so upset when they shot that ship down. He was so angry with Harriet Jones." Rose picked up a piece of the heavy metal and turned it over in her hands. "Why do you keep this stuff?"

"It's our job. We keep alien artifacts from falling into the hands of the general public. Or worse. I brought several of these boxes here when I left London. There was nowhere else for them to go, so Cardiff's archives were as good as anywhere else." Ianto jotted something down on his clipboard. "I remember hearing that the Doctor was there." He pointed to her necklace. "Did you ask Tosh about the key?"

Rose shook her head. "I'm going to. You know, it happened about the same time Jack reappeared. Maybe he'd have an answer."

***

"Ianto, can I see you in my office?" Jack called across the atrium. Ianto looked up from the coffeemaker and nodded. He waved off Toshiko before heading up to Jack's office.

Jack leaned against his desk when Ianto appeared. "Yes, sir? Do you need something?"

"What's going on between you and Rose?" Jack asked Ianto casually.

Ianto looked at him icily. "I don't think that's any of your business, sir." 

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Ianto. She'll probably leave once the Doctor and her memory come back."

"Don't want me getting hurt? Should have thought of that before you swanned off with the Doctor." Ianto made a noise that sounded like a cross between a snort and a laugh. "Don't worry about me, sir. Being left is what I'm best at, isn't it?"

"Ianto, I-"

"Lisa left me. You left me for the Doctor without even a word. But you can't take it when someone leaves you, can you? Don't worry, Rose will leave both of us when the Doctor comes back. Then what? You'll come crawling back to me?" His eyes welled up and he sniffed, clenching his jaw to hold the tears back.

Hurt moved across Jack's face. "I'm so sorry Ianto. I shouldn't have left like that. I didn’t think."

Jack quickly crossed the room quickly and pulled Ianto into his arms. "I'm sorry, Ianto," he whispered, his lips touching Ianto's neck. Tears began to run down Ianto's face, his arms clinging to Jack.

"I didn't want to be left again. I thought it meant I really was just a part-time shag." Ianto finally said. His head was resting in the crook of Jack's neck, looking away from Jack.

"Don't think that," Jack said vehemently. He used his hand to lift Ianto's head so he could look the younger man in the eye. "I would never call you that." He smiled, coaxing a small smile out of Ianto. Jack put his hands on either side of Ianto's face and kissed him. He could taste the salt of Ianto's tears and Jack found himself shedding a few tears of his own. "I'm not going away again," Jack told him when they pulled apart. "Tosh said Rose's been good for you."

Ianto blushed lightly. "I suppose she has been."

"She can have that effect on people. Before Rose, the Doctor, he was angry, alone. She gave him hope, brought him joy. Hell, she did the same for me." Jack kissed Ianto again. He'd missed the younger man while he was gone.

***

Rose walked into the office and stopped. Jack and Ianto were kissing. She tried to back out silently but ended up hitting the door frame, causing the door to rattle.

The two men broke apart, startled. Rose blushed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." She turned to go.

Jack reached out and snagged her hand, pulling Rose back into the office. "You didn't interrupt. We were just talking about you."

She sat in the chair in front of Jack's desk. "Is that what you call it?"

"We were talking about you. How you're good for people." Jack wandered in the space near his desk. Ianto hovered behind Rose's chair.

"I'll leave you too alone for a bit, yeah?" Ianto laid a hand on Rose's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. She gave him a smile and he left.

"Was I good for you?" she asked innocently. After a moment, she blushed, realizing how her question sounded.

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, you were. You showed me that there was still good in the world."

Rose stared at Jack for a moment before throwing herself into his arms, knocking him backwards. "I thought you were dead," she exclaimed. "On Satellite 5, you died."

Jack cupped the side of her face and she leaned into his hand. "You brought me back. You made me live."

She was still lost in her thoughts and didn't hear him. "We left you. Oh my god, we left you there," she exclaimed and began to cry. "I asked about you and the Doctor said you were busy rebuilding Earth. I thought he was being glib."

"He didn’t know I was alive either." He gathered Rose into his arms, making shushing noises to soothe her. "It's not your fault. The Doctor explained the whole thing."

"He told you?" She lifted her head. "He'd never talk about it with me."

"He didn't want you to know." Jack maneuvered her back into the chair by his desk. 

"Know what?" She sniffled and wiped at her tears.

"That he'd regenerated for you. He'd given up a life for you. He didn't want that hanging over you."

"Tell me everything, Jack. I want to know everything."

***

Jack went home with Ianto and Rose that night. When it was time for bed, Rose headed into the guest room. Ianto grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Where're you going?" he asked, his hands on her hips in a decidedly proprietary manner. Jack remained in the sitting room, catching up on the news.

"To bed."

"Then why're you going into the guest room?"

Rose looked over her shoulder at the room. "I just thought, since Jack was back,"

Ianto shook his head and pulled Rose into his room. "No. I still want you in my bed. We both sleep better that way." He tugged back the duvet and motioned for Rose to climb in. She pulled off her pajama bottoms and slid into the center of the bed. Ianto crawled in after her.

Rose was still awake when Jack climbed into bed on the other side of her. Rose lay on her side, curled against Ianto, one leg thrown over his, hand over his heart. Jack spooned up behind her, his arm thrown over her side, hand resting on Ianto's stomach. Her rear was cradled against his hips.

Jack had to admit he felt a little disappointed to find her wearing a camisole and knickers. His hand skated over the silky material of her top.

"Disappointed?" Rose's voice held a touch of amusement. 

"About what?"

She wriggled backwards. "That I'm not naked."

"No, why would I be?" His voice was steady.

"Liar." She continued to wiggle herself against him.

He grabbed her hips to still her movements. "Yes, I'm disappointed."

She chuckled and scooted closer to Ianto. "I thought so."

Ianto reached across his body and patted Rose's arm. "Stop torturing Jack, Rose."

Rose nodded against his shoulder and put her hand on top of Jack's. "Sorry, Jack."

He dropped a kiss on the nape of her neck. "'S alright. Night, Rose. Night, Ianto."

***

The next day, Jack spent the day trying to make amends for leaving without notice. He took Gwen down to the range for target practice, brought Toshiko a new piece of alien technology to work on, and gave everyone the afternoon off. By late afternoon, Ianto, Rose and Jack were the only ones left in the Hub. Ianto was taking advantage of the quiet to get some cleaning done. Rose alternated between reading and playing with Myfanwy, who ignored Jack's attempts to make amends. She even refused the treats he tried to give her. Ianto assured him that she would eventually get over it and to give the pterodactyl time.

"Hey you," Jack called softly as Rose walked past. She looked up from what she was reading and smiled. 

"You've been busy today, Jack." Rose closed her book.

He nodded. "Yeah, 's been a long day." Jack caught Rose by the hand and tugged her along up to his office. He had soft music playing and a bottle of champagne open on the desk.

"Glenn Miller?" Rose questioned, an eyebrow raised.

He held out his hand to her. "Dance with me." It wasn't a question.

She slipped her hand into his and let him pull her close. Rose rested her head on his shoulder as he moved them around his office. "This is nice," she murmured. 

"It's like our first date," Jack replied.

Rose didn't lift her head. "Hmm?"

Jack laughed. "You were hanging from a barrage balloon, Union Jack plastered over your chest during the London Blitz."

"You rescued me, thought I was a time agent. Tried to seduce me into a con." This time she did lift her head to smile at Jack. "You thought you were such a criminal."

He turned them and dipped Rose over his arm. "I was a criminal."

Rose laughed as he righted her. "Sure you were."

Jack noticed the chain around her neck and pulled it out. "What's this?"

"A key. They found it with me. Tosh said the metal's alien." She unhooked it and handed it to Jack. "That reminds me. It got hot and started glowing right around the same time you arrived. Do you know why?"

Jack's grin widened. "Rose, this is your TARDIS key!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his own key. "It's connected with the TARDIS. That's why it glows whenever she's near."

"TARDIS? The Doctor's ship?"

Jack nodded. "If Tosh can figure it out, we might be able to use these to send a message to him." He reached forward and fastened the necklace around her neck.

"Really?" 

"I think we can get you home, Rose Tyler." Rose jumped into his arms, this time with a squeal of delight. Jack laughed. "Tomorrow, we'll see what Tosh can do."


	11. Chapter 11

One afternoon four days after Toshiko started working on how to use the TARDIS key as a signal beacon, a whooshing sound filled the Hub. Rose and Owen came out of the Boardroom to see what the noise was. Something appeared down by the water. The entire team was assembled by the time the TARDIS had fully materialized. Jack and Ianto flanked Rose, each holding her hand.

The door opened and a tall, thin man with wild brown hair stepped out. He had a broad grin on his face that grew even broader when he saw Rose. She burst into tears when she saw him and ran to him, throwing her arms around him.

He held her tightly, his hand stroking over her hair. "I can't believe you're here," he whispered to her. It only made her cry harder. "Rose Tyler, I love you. I didn't get the chance to say it at Bad Wolf Bay, but there it is."

"Doctor," she sniffled, "I never thought I'd see you again."

The Torchwood team grew more and more uncomfortable as the pair clung to one another. They began to drift away to give the Doctor and Rose some privacy. Jack was the only one who didn't leave.

The Doctor looked in his direction. "Jack, thank you."

He stepped up next to them. The Doctor pulled him into their embrace. "You have to tell me everything. How did she get here? Is she okay? Were there any negative effects of her coming over?"

"She is standing right here, Doctor." Rose's voice held a touch of annoyance.

Jack laughed. "Let's go up to the Boardroom. I think my team can answer some of your questions better than I can." He led them up the stairs to the Boardroom level, motioning for the others to join them. Ianto was already preparing a tray of coffee for them.

Rose sat next to the Doctor, her hand still in his. Now that he'd found her again, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to let her go. 

Jack stood at the end of the table. "Let me introduce everyone. This is Gwen Cooper, Doctor Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato and Ianto Jones. Guys, this is the Doctor, Torchwood's number one enemy."

The Doctor smiled at everyone as if he was proud of this title. His eyes focused on Toshiko. "Nice to see you again, Doctor Sato. Glad it's not because the world's ending."

Toshiko's eyes widened. "Doctor, I didn't recognize you."

"You've finally gotten to see real aliens, haven't you?" The Doctor nodded to himself.

"You could say that again," Toshiko muttered not quite under her breath.

The Doctor's eyes moved on, stopping briefly on Ianto. "Captain, is this your Welshman?" Jack threw a sidelong glance at Ianto before nodded. The Doctor nodded. "You've got good taste, Jack. Well, you did choose me, so that goes without saying."

Rose elbowed him in the ribs as Ianto blushed and Owen snorted. "You're being rude again," she whispered.

"What?" He looked at her. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean it." He sighed. "I can't help but wonder if I'd been ginger, would I be this rude? Anyway, tell me about Rose and how she got here."

The Torchwood team took turns explaining what they knew about Rose. When Owen came to the bit about Rose not being fully human, the Doctor held up his hand.

"Wait. What'd ya mean Rose isn't human? Of course Rose is human. 100% Earth-born human, my Rose is." The Doctor smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

Owen shook his head. "Not anymore. She's about 1% energy. It reads like Rift energy, but it's not."

The Doctor turned to Rose and gave her a hard look. Pursing his lips, he reached forward with both hands and pressed his forefingers into her temples. "Just sit still. This won't hurt," he reassured her. He looked deeply into her eyes, his mind probing hers. "Well, that is interesting," he said eventually. He gave Rose a caress on the cheek before releasing her.

"What's interesting?" Rose asked. 

"It's not just energy you've got inside you. It's huon energy. You've got just a bit of the heart of the TARDIS inside you." He peered at her again. "Wonder how I missed it all that time?" he mused. "When you absorbed the time vortex into you, it changed you. Left a piece of it inside that wouldn't be separated from you, even when I tried. Oh, you are amazing, my lovely Rose." The Doctor grinned at her, before turning to Owen. "Is it harming her?"

Owen shook his head. "It doesn't seem to be. If anything, it seems to be keeping her remarkably healthy."

"Is this what keeps Jack alive?" Rose asked the Doctor, who looked surprised.

"You know about-" he started, but Jack interrupted him.

"I told her everything. She needed to know what happened."

"Yes, well, thank you, Jack. Yes, Rose, this is what keeps Jack alive. It's the TARDIS. She is what I would call possessive," he said the last bit with a smile. "Now about this memory loss, Doctor Harper, how severe is it?"

"We've been exposing Rose to as much of her past as we have available at Torchwood. That seems to be helping some. She still has no memory of how she got here or what happened in the few years prior to coming here." Owen gestured at Jack. "Jack's been helpful in filling in a good portion of the blanks from the time when he traveled with you."

"There's so much that I think I know but doesn't feel like a proper memory." Rose looked pained. She rubbed her head and pouted just a little. "I need supper. Can we go out?"

Jack nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. There's a nice little Thai place not far from here. I think we could all do with getting out of the Hub."

The groups gathered up coats and headed out of the Hub, following Jack to the restaurant. The Doctor and Rose walked a little towards the back, talking quietly.

"I can fix your memory loss." The Doctor restrained himself from grabbing Rose's hand, as was his usual custom.

Rose brushed some hair out of her face and looked in his direction. "How?"

"You know what I did before, when I was looking for the energy?" She nodded. He continued. "I can go further, find whatever's blocking your memories and get rid of it. Presto, instant amnesia relief."

"Will it hurt?"

"Nah. Well, you might have a bit of a headache after, but it won't be like going to the dentist." He smiled at his own joke.

Rose gave him a little shove. "What would you know about going to the dentist? You're alien."

"Oi, how do you know I don't have a dentist? Can't get teeth this pearly white without one." He smiled broadly, showing teeth.

"Oh, go on. Pull the other one." Rose shook her head. "You're terrible."

"You love it." The Doctor insisted. He looked down and let a small smile pass over his lips. While they were walking, Rose had unconsciously slipped her hand into his.

"When can we do this mind thingy?" she finally asked.

"Tomorrow. That okay?"

Rose turned a beaming smile on him. "Sure."

***

The Doctor looked up when Rose came into the TARDIS. She appeared uncertain about something.

"I'm going to go home with Ianto tonight. I've got some things there I'd like to pick up." Rose looked at her feet when she said this. She didn't know what the Doctor's reaction to her and Ianto's relationship was going to be.

"He's a nice bloke. I can see what Jack likes him." He continued to putter around the console.

"You see, Doctor, I didn't know about you and he is nice and-" The Doctor stopped her words with a finger on her lips. 

"Rose, hush. You don't have to explain anything. This is me, not being jealous. It's like Mickey."

"Mickey? Oh, I'd forgotten him," she exclaimed. Rose chewed on her lower lip. "Jack's staying here. You won't be lonely."

The Doctor laughed and hugged Rose. "It's okay, honest. You go; I'll see you in the morning." He dropped a kiss on her forehead and gave her a gentle shove towards the open door. She gave him another hug and walked to the door.

Jack appeared in the open doorway. Rose gave him a hug and went to find Ianto. He watched her go before entering the TARDIS. "That was rather magnanimous of you," he said as he sauntered up the walkway.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? What was?"

" 'This is me, not being jealous?' Liar." Jack smirked.

"What about you? She's off with your Welshman." The Doctor leaned against one of the pillars with a sigh. "Do you think she suspected?"

"That you're really green with envy? No. She doesn't remember you well enough yet." Jack mimicked the Doctor's pose. "Rose loves you. She does remember that much. Where's Martha?" Jack had gotten on well enough with the Doctor's new companion while aboard the TARDIS. She wasn’t anything like Rose, but she kept the Doctor from falling into a depression after Canary Wharf. 

"I dropped her off at home when I got Doctor Sato's message." The Doctor headed further into the TARDIS.

Jack followed. "Was she upset?"

The Doctor shrugged. "She didn't show it. You could look her up, you know. She's only in London. She might like working for Torchwood."

"I'm not sure my branch could handle her."

***

Ianto watched from the doorway as Rose packed up her things. He wasn't sure what to say. 

"I don't know what to say, Ianto." Rose turned around, holding a folded top to her chest.

He chuckled. "I was just thinking that. There really was someone looking for you."

Rose set the top down and walked over to Ianto. She put her hands on his crossed arms. "I meant what I said, Ianto. I'm glad I met you. I wouldn't wish any of this away. But I can't stay. I'll never get my memories back if I do. Besides, your heart belongs to Jack."

Ianto looked down at her hands for a moment. Raising his gaze, he reached up and held her face in his hands. He leaned forwards and kissed her sweetly, as if saying goodbye. She kissed him back, raising her hands to the back of his head. She tilted her head and stepped closer to him. His hands swept down over her shoulders and arms, to circle her body and lift her up.

Rose locked her legs around his waist. He carried her down the hall to his room and climbed onto the bed, her legs still around him. She pulled at his tie, slipping it off and letting it fall to the floor. She started on the buttons of his shirt, but he brushed her hands away.

"Let me. Please, let me just do this." He unbuttoned his shirt and let it join the tie on the floor. His hands went to the buttons on her top. He started from the bottom button, slowly pulling each one free. As he moved to the next button, his hands brushed over the warm newly exposed skin. He leaned over her stomach and licked the skin above her navel.

Rose shivered and pulled at Ianto's shoulders. He raised his eyes, his mouth still on her belly and ignored her hands. He continued to unbutton her top and taste his way up her body. When her top was fully unbuttoned, he sat up, just looking at her.

Rose lay there watching him. Ianto brought his hand up, over her stomach to rest between her breasts before sliding over one bra cup, then the other. He helped her sit up so he could take her top off the rest of the way. He also undid her bra and slid it down her arms. 

His touch on her breasts was one of reverence, as if he was memorizing the way she felt. He dropped his head to one of her breasts and took it in his mouth. His fingers danced over the other, brushing and teasing.

"Ianto," Rose breathed out his name, forcing him to lift his head to look at her. "What's wrong?"

Ianto moved up so his gaze was even with hers. His hand slid down to her hip, and pulled her closer. "I want to remember you, just like this." They kissed tenderly. Ianto undid the button and zipper on her jeans and Rose lifted her hips so he could pull them off. She smiled when his hands touched the ticklish spot behind her knee as he slid up her legs to pull of her knickers. He took off his own trousers and crawled back onto the bed with her.

"You worried about forgetting me?" she asked playfully, her hands finding their way down into his boxers. 

A sly smile crossed his lips and he flexed the hand resting on her stomach. Ianto slid his hand between her thighs. "More worried about you forgetting me."

Rose's breath was coming faster and she was making little noises. "Don't think it'll be a problem," she squeaked out. He chuckled against her shoulder, his fingers drawing moans from her. "Ianto, please."

He reached over her and found a condom in the nightstand drawer. Rose helped him shed his boxers and he put it on. Ianto turned and found Rose waiting for him.

Ianto crawled between Rose's legs and slid into her. He lifted her leg and she curled it around his waist, holding him close to her. He began to move slowly.

There were no further words between them. The couple moved together, wanting to make this last time last as long as they could. They kissed almost leisurely, Ianto making trails of little kisses and bites along her throat and breasts. Rose's hands caressed his arms and chest, pulling his body closer to hers, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Ianto slipped a hand between them to touch Rose. Her eyes fluttered shut, small moans escaping from her lips.

Rose came first, her orgasm rolling gently over her. Her body shuddered and arched against Ianto, tightening around him. His movements quickened and grew more erratic. Her name fell from his lips as he came. Ianto dropped his head into the curve of her shoulder. Her hand rested on the back of his head, fingers weaving into his hair.

With a quiet groan, Ianto lifted his head. He kissed Rose and pushed himself off of her. She watched him pad down the hall. A moment later, he returned, pulling the duvet over them. Ianto curled up next to Rose, his head on her chest, arm around her waist. Rose wrapped her arms around him and they drifted off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Rose dropped her bag in the TARDIS when she and Ianto arrived the next morning. The Doctor and Toshiko were looking at some piece of alien technology and he looked up with a smile as she approached.

"Morning, Rose. Ready to get those memories back?" He held out his hand to her.

She nodded and slipped her hand in his. She said hello to Toshiko as the Doctor led her up to Jack's office.

The Doctor gestured toward the chair in front of Jack's desk as he shut the door. There was another chair opposite the one Rose was sitting in and the Doctor sat in it. Jack was already sitting behind his desk.

"This shouldn't hurt. You might have a slight headache, that's all." The Doctor patted Rose's hand reassuringly. He slid his chair closer to her, so that her knees rested between his. He leaned forward and put his hands on either side of her face, his first and middle fingers resting on her temples. "Just relax, Rose."

The feeling of his mind moving about hers was not unpleasant exactly, but she wasn't sure she liked it. The longer he poked around in her mind, the less she liked it. Her breathing sped up.

"Rose, relax. Calm down," the Doctor murmured. "I'm almost done." She didn't seem to hear him, her body on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Doctor, she's going to pass out." Jack stood up and came around to the front of his desk. 

The Doctor hushed Jack. "Almost done."

Rose suddenly went limp, sliding to one side of her chair, out of the Doctor's hands. Jack caught her up and laid her down on the couch in the corner of his office. The Doctor jumped up and followed him.

"Did you do it?" Jack asked. He went to the door, opened it and called for Owen.

The Doctor checked Rose's pulse. It was steady and he breathed a sigh of relief. "I won't be sure until she wakes up. I was just at the block when she passed out."

Owen came bounding into the office. He saw Rose on the couch and rushed over. "What happened?"

The Doctor looked at Jack. Jack answered for him. "The Doctor here was poking around in Rose's head when she hyperventilated and passed out."

"Her pulse is steady," the Doctor added.

Owen checked her pupils' reaction and breathing. "She probably just passed out because of her breathing. She didn't hit her head or anything, so she should be fine."

The Doctor nodded. "Thank you, Doctor Harper."

Owen's hand was still resting on Rose's cheek when she started to wake up. She leaned into his hand. "Doctor?" she called softly and opened her eyes. Owen snatched his hand away and stood up. 

"I'm here, Rose." The Doctor took Owen's place at her side. "How do you feel?"

She tried to sit up before lying back down with a groan. "I thought you said it'd just be a little headache." She rubbed her forehead. "Oh, I haven't had a migraine like this since the last time Shireen and I went on a pub crawl." The Doctor stared at her. "What? I grow something on my face?"

He grinned. "You remember Shireen? We did it!" he exclaimed, pulling her up into his arms. "Well, strictly speaking, I did it, but you needed to be there or I would have looked pretty silly sitting here-"

"Doctor?" Rose interrupted his raving.

He looked down at her. She had turned a distinctively unpleasant shade of green. "Yes?"

"Can you please stop shaking me? I think I might be sick." He set her back against the couch as gently as he could. "Thanks," she said weakly.

"I'll bring you a couple Nurofen." Owen ran back down the stairs to the infirmary. He came back a few minutes later with the promised tablets and a mug of tea. "From Ianto. He said he thought you might need it."

She took both gratefully. "Cheers." Rose swallowed the tablets with the tea. She held the mug against her forehead, letting the warmth seep into her aching head.

"Rose," Jack spoke up, "do you want to lay down for a little bit? Take a nap?"

"Oh, that'd be lovely." She stood up and started toward the door, swaying just a little bit.

Jack shook his head. "Here, you can sleep in my room. It'll be dark and quiet. No one'll bother you." He held out his hand to her. The Doctor looked at them curiously. Jack climbed down the ladder to his quarters and helped Rose down. She kicked off her shoes and crawled onto his bed. He pulled a blanket over her, brushing her hair back with a smile. "Sleep well, sweetheart." Rose was already dozing off and he climbed back up the ladder. 

The Doctor was waiting for Jack when he came back up. "Thank you."

"It's Rose." Jack said, by way of explanation. "When do you think you'll be leaving?"

"Soon. Today or tomorrow, I think. We'll see how Rose's doing." The Doctor looked out over the Hub. "Now, what about those archives you were telling me about? Think I can take a look around?"

Jack put an arm around his shoulder and led him out of the office. "You will need to ask Ianto about that. That's his domain."

"He's probably still sore I took you away with me, isn't he?" The Doctor looked around for the office manager.

Jack nodded. "Probably. And he's taken a shine to Rose, so he's got twice the reason not to like you." He opened the doors that led to the tourist centre and waved the Doctor through. "Good luck," he added and let the doors roll shut. 

***

Rose woke slowly, stretching and yawning. She felt better than she had in ages. She pushed back the covers and stood up. There was no sign of a clock anywhere in Jack's quarters and she wondered what time it was. Scratching her head, she mounted the ladder and climbed up into Jack's office.

The man himself wasn't in the room. Rose found him near Owen's workstation in the atrium. Both men smiled when she approached.

"Hey Blondie, how ya feeling?" Owen spun around in his chair, chewing on his pen.

"Much better. And my head's so clear." She leaned against his desk.

"All your memories back then?" Jack asked.

Rose nodded. "Oh, and I have a story for you. All about what I did on that other Earth. Where's the Doctor?"

Jack jerked a finger over his shoulder. "Where'd you think he is? Sulking 'cause Ianto wouldn't let him into the archives. I don't think Ianto likes him very much. Come find me when you get him cheered up. Then you can tell me your story."

"Okay." Rose skipped across the walkways and bridges to the TARDIS. The door was open and she found the Doctor leaning over the computer, staring at something.

He looked up when she came in. "Good, it's you. When you want to go?"

She shrugged. "Don't know. Why?"

"Thought you'd be wanting to get back into time and space. Back to adventures." He was trying very hard to sound nonchalant.

"You're getting restless," Rose declared. "Even the weirdness of this place is too domestic for you."

The Doctor snuck an arm around Rose's waist. "Maybe I just don't want to share you with the Captain and that Ianto bloke."

"You're jealous! I knew it," she exclaimed gleefully. She let her head drop to his shoulder with a smile.

"Me? Never. Time Lords are beyond such trivial emotions." His voice was so full of pomposity Rose couldn't help but laugh. "It's not nice to laugh at someone."

"Oh, did I hurt your big bad Time Lord feelings?" She was really enjoying herself now. She'd missed this sort of banter the two of them used to get into.

The Doctor pulled away from her. "We're leaving tonight."

Rose shook her head. "I'll let Jack know." She started for the door, but stopped and darted back to kiss him on the cheek. "I missed you."

He pulled her into a hug, resting his cheek on the top of her head. "I missed you too." As soon as he released her, she went in search of Jack.

Jack was back in his office, typing something on the computer. He looked up when Rose came in.

She sat in her usual chair, stretching her legs out in front of her. "We're leaving tonight."

Jack nodded knowingly. "I suspected as much. He seemed to be getting anxious." He hit the save button and swung away from the computer. "Tell me this story."

"About a month ago, I had this dream. I was standing in the Hub, next to you. When I told my... my dad, he said he was opening a Cardiff branch and asked me to run it."

"You were running Torchwood Three?"

Rose nodded. "Can you believe it? Mickey was there too, you remember him? He was my second. And Ianto. He was our office manager. It's how I knew what his name was when we first met. My team went out on this case, chasing aliens, and I fell off a balcony. That's when I woke up here."

"You literally fell through the Rift. It saved your life."

Rose was silent for a little bit. She smiled. "I had a baby sister over there. She was cute."

"If she was like you, I'm sure she was." He leaned back and put his feet on the desk. "Make sure you get him to bring you back once in a while."

"I will. Now that I've found you again, I don't want to lose you." Rose pulled her knees to her chest and curled up in the chair.


	13. Chapter 13

Rose hugged Gwen. "Thank you for everything."

"Keep in touch, Rose. We'll miss you 'round here." Gwen stepped back and Rose moved over to Toshiko. 

"Bye, Tosh." They hugged.

Owen stood back from the rest, his arms wrapped around himself. "Stop being such a git, Owen. It's okay to be good guy once in a while," Rose told him with a sly smile. 

"Ah, but you love me anyway, Blondie," he snarked back. She pulled at his arm until he gave in and let her hug him. 

Rose gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Probably." She let go of him and looked around for Ianto. "Where's Ianto?"

"I think he's hiding," Owen jerked his head in the direction of the kitchen.

Rose looked over her shoulder at the Doctor. "I'll be right back, 'kay?"

He nodded. Rose ran up the steps, taking them two at a time. She found Ianto washing some dishes. He didn't look up when she came in. "What? Can’t be bothered to say goodbye to me?"

"Bye, Rose." He kept washing the coffee mug in his hands, not looking at Rose.

"I thought we agreed, we weren't going to get involved," she said, half jokingly.

Ianto let the mug slip back into the sink and bowed his head. "I lied." He wiped his hands on a towel and turned to her. "I'm going to miss you, Rose."

"You say that like you'll never see me again." She smiled gently. "We'll come visit." Rose took a step closer to him. "I'll miss you too, Ianto."

"Can I be jealous that you're leaving with him?" he asked with something that sounded like a laugh. He held his arms open and she stepped into them, resting her head on his chest.

"Only if I can be jealous that you're here with Jack," she replied. Rose lifted her face to his in invitation.

Ianto cupped the back of her head and kissed her. She kissed him back, clinging to his shirt. 

A light cough behind them made them pull apart. Ianto looked up and saw Jack standing in the kitchen doorway. He smiled at them.

"Doc's looking for you, Rose."

She dropped her head to Ianto's chest. "Of course he is. Come on." She pulled on Ianto's hand, forcing him to walk with her down to the TARDIS. Jack followed behind them.

"There she is. Ready to get going, Rose?" The Doctor beamed at Rose as she came down the stairs.

Rose nodded and turned to Jack. "Be good, Jack. Take care of these guys. Especially Ianto, yeah?"

Jack pulled her into a hug. " 'Course I will, gorgeous. Don't be afraid to come by for a visit once in a while."

She leaned up on her toes and kissed him. "We will. This where my family is now." Rose gave him one last hug and turned to Ianto. "Don't go getting all mopey again."

He smiled. "I won't." Ianto hugged her and kissed her softly on the lips. Rose's lips curved upwards as she stepped back.

The Doctor was holding his hand out to her and she slipped her hand into his. "Bye all. We'll see you again." He winked and they disappeared into the TARDIS. A few moments later, they heard a whooshing noise and the light on the top began to blink. The TARDIS itself began to fade away before disappearing altogether.

Jack draped an arm over Ianto's shoulders. "I think we should go out. How's a pint sound?" he suggested.

The rest of the team nodded in agreement. They started up the stairs, arguing over who was buying. Jack and Ianto followed a little more slowly.

"You going to be okay?" Jack asked Ianto.

Ianto looked back at the place where the TARDIS had been and nodded. "Yes, sir. I will."


	14. Epilogue

The Doctor closed the door behind them and bounded up to the console. "Right then, where'd you want to go?"

Rose stared at the closed door for a moment before turning to him. He beamed at her, joy of having her back written all over his face. She had trouble keeping her conflicted thoughts from showing and just shrugged. "I think I'd just like to hang around the TARDIS for a bit. Get reacquainted with the old girl, you know?"

His face fell, only to be quickly replaced by a look of confusion and then the smile again. "Sure. Whatever you want, Rose. I'll find us a nice quiet place to park then." She nodded, leaning quietly against one of the pillars. The Doctor looked up from his navigation. "Why don't you go get unpacked? I'll come find you later."

Rose looked surprised. "My room? It's still here?"

"Of course, where'd you think it'd go? Silly." He shook his head. "Go on."

She smiled genuinely for the first time since she'd returned to the TARDIS and picked up her bags, heading in the direction of her room.

The TARDIS had kept her room exactly the same. She hadn't expected that. Rose always thought of the TARDIS as a fairly efficient machine, and so figured her room would have been purged as no longer necessary. Though perhaps she was being unfair to the ship, those thoughts having come soon after her abandonment on the alternate Earth. It had taken her a while to stop being angry and to accept her situation.

As Rose set her bags down, she wondered how many other companions' rooms were out there in the TARDIS. The ship obviously did something to keep the current companions from wandering into the quarters of those they had replaced. Rose had explored so much of the wonderful ship and she had never seen any living areas besides hers and the Doctors.

Rose unzipped the bags and began putting away her new clothes. Finding herself running out of room, she decided it might be a good idea to do some clearing out of things she no longer wore and give them away. She made a mental note to check the kitchen for bin liners to put the clothes in.

Closing the drawer, a framed photo on the dresser top caught her eye. Her mum, Mickey, the Doctor, and herself all looked back at her, wearing paper crowns from the Christmas poppers. She picked up the photo, tracing her fingers over the faces of her mum and Mickey. They must be so worried about her, disappearing without a trace like that. She'd done it once before and her mum had gone off her rocker with worry. At least this time, she wouldn't be calling the police accusing Mickey of killing Rose.

"Rose, I- oh," she heard the Doctor behind her and hastily wiped at her tears. 

"Did you need something?" She held the photo down at her side, hoping he wouldn't notice it.

He stepped into her room. "We've landed. Nice deserted planet, no one to bother us for millennia."

She sniffled and nodded, blinking to keep the tears back. "Okay, thanks. I'm almost done here."

His forehead wrinkled and he stepped closer. "Rose, have you been crying?" She shook her head. "Yes, you have."

"No, I haven't." She looked down, trying to turn away from him.

He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, you have."

"No, I haven't." She tried to shrug him off.

"Yes, you have. Stop arguing with me Rose," he said gently.

She lifted her head. "You started it."

"No, I did- now, we're not doing that again." The Doctor reached down for her hand and found the photo. "What's this-oh, Christmas. We had a lovely time then, didn't we? I mean, after the Sycorax thing and the ship being blown up, well, supper was lovely and the ash afterwards, snow, you lot thought it was. Yup, a good time was had by all. Again, except the Sycorax." 

Rose found herself giggling at his manic ramble. 

He let out a shout. "Ha, made you laugh."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you-we're never getting anywhere this way." She wiped at her eyes again and ran a hand through her hair. "Where did you say we are?"

The Doctor looked like he had a sudden idea. "That's it! Nowhere, Rose Tyler. We're nowhere. Yet," he added. He shoved the photo back into her hands and bolted from her room. She set the frame back on the dresser and headed to the control room.

***

The Doctor leapt around the console, pushing buttons and pulling levers. She watched him jump from place to place, keeping up a steady stream of chatter to his ship the whole time.

"Where are we going?" she asked, bracing herself against the railing when the TARDIS gave a particularly bad lurch.

He continued his chatter like he hadn't heard her. "Where did I put it? It's not in the closet. Maybe in the other coat." He finally stopped talking after the TARDIS gave one final bone jarring movement, indicating they had arrived. "Ah, we're here."

"Where's here?" Rose poked her head out the door curiously. The Doctor parked the TARDIS at the edge of a large beach. Leaning back inside, she looked down at her jeans and hooded jumper. "I think I need to change."

"We're on the island of South Bimini in the Bahamas, around, oh, 1963. Thought you could use a holiday." The Doctor leaned against a pillar smiling.

Rose smiled. The thoughtfulness of this gesture didn't escape her. She stopped to press a quick kiss to his cheek before continuing to her room.

She returned to the control room ten minutes later, now more appropriately dressed in a bikini, sarong and thong sandals. She held a bottle of sunscreen and a towel. 

The Doctor's legs stuck out from under the console. He slid out and looked up when she walked in. "Ready for the beach, then?"

"Almost." She waved the bottle in his direction. "Will you rub some on my back?"

He bounced up and took the bottle from her. "Turn 'round," he ordered. She did as he asked, jumping when he spread the cool lotion on her skin.

Rose sighed, relaxing as the Doctor's hands kneaded the tension from her shoulders and back.

"There you are. Safe as houses now." He handed her the bottle back.

She watched him as he climbed back under the console. He'd wiped his hands on his trouser legs, instead of licking them as she expected. Maybe he already knew how foul sunscreen tasted.

"You're not coming out?" she asked.

"Maybe later. There's something I need to do first," he answered. He never stopped working as he spoke.

Rose watched him another moment, then stepped out of the TARDIS onto the sand. She walked toward the blue-green water. There were no people at this end of the beach. She spread her towel in the sand and lay down on her back.

Some time later, she heard the Doctor's voice coming toward her. She rolled over and looked in the direction of the TARDIS. He walked barefoot on the sand, his trouser legs rolled up, a mobile pressed to his ear.

"Of course! That's obvious. I tried that, didn't work." He plopped down on the sand beside her, grinning broadly.

"Who's that?" she asked.

Tosh, he mouthed. "Did you run the flux parameters again? Right."

"Tell her I said hi," Rose said and closed her eyes as the Doctor began a litany of technobable.

Something poked her in the shoulder and Rose pried one eye open. The Doctor held the phone out to her.

"It's Jack."

She took the phone eagerly. "Jack?"

"Hey gorgeous. Where are you?"

Rose smiled when she heard Jack's voice. "South Bimini, 1963. It's lovely." She stretched lazily. "How long ago did we leave?"

"About a week. How long for you?" 

"Less than a day."

"When are you coming back?" She could hear the smile in his voice and it made her miss him all the more. 

She laughed. "A bit too soon to ask that question, don't you think?"

"Hey, it's been a week here."

"Why'd he call you anyway?" Rose rolled onto her back, closing her eyes against the sun.

There was movement on the other end of the line. "Didn't tell me. He talked to Tosh about something. Here, say hi to Ianto."

Before Rose could protest, Ianto's rich Welsh accent came over the phone. "Hello, Rose."

"Hi, Ianto. How've you been?"

"Fine. We all miss you here."

"I miss you guys too. I miss you," she added. The Doctor called her name from the TARDIS and Rose sighed.

"Don't stay away too long. The Hub isn't the same without you."

"I won't. Listen, the Doctor's yelling for me. I'll call you later, all right?" She sat up, waving her hand in the direction of the TARDIS to indicate she heard the Doctor.

"Later for me or later for you?" Ianto asked with a laugh.

Rose got to her feet, gathering her towel. "I'm not sure. But I will call."

"Okay. I'm still jealous."

She smiled. "So am I." Rose hung up the mobile and went back to the TARDIS.

The Doctor looked up when she came in. "Took you long enough." He waved for her to join him at the computer.

"What is it?" She bent to look at the monitor. It all looked like gibberish to her.

The Doctor leaned back against the console. "Tell me what's wrong."

Rose looked confused. "In the TARDIS?"

He shook his head. "No, with you."

"Oh." She looked down at her feet. "I wouldn't change being here with you for all the world. I just wish I could say goodbye. Let Mum and Mickey know I'm okay. They must be worried sick."

"At least she knows it wasn't Mickey this time," he said with a smile. When she didn't smile back, he went on. "It might be possible for you to call them. Probably just once and I can't guarantee for how long.

"How? I thought we closed all the holes in the void." She looked up at him, hope in her eyes.

"If you came through the Rift, then we might be able to get a message through. Tosh and I worked out a formula and I think it could work. That's part of why we're here." He waved his hand in the direction of the door.

"Where? South Bimini?"

"Yeah. This is one of the points of the Devil's Triangle." His voice lowered and he ended his statement with an evil genius type laugh.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "So?"

"The Bermuda Triangle, Rose? One of the world's great mysteries? Ships and planes have disappeared from here for centuries with no explanation. Even Columbus reported seeing strange lights and odd compass bearings when they sailed through it." The Doctor glanced at the computer screen.

"Did scientists debunk that back in the late 1990s? Said it was all weather patterns or something?" 

The Doctor made a psshh noise. "What do Earth scientists know? How do they explain the two lighthouse keepers who disappeared in 1969 from Great Issac Light? You'd do a better job explaining what's going on here. Go on, give it a try."

Rose sucked her lower lip between her teeth and looked upwards. "Well, it sounds like..."

"Yeah?" The Doctor leaned forward.

"People and things disappearing. Things reappearing. It sounds like a rift. Like the one in Cardiff."

The Doctor whooped and scooped Rose up, spinning her around. "I knew you'd get it. You are brilliant, Rose Tyler." He set her down just as quickly and typed something into the computer. "Where's your mobile?" She handed it to him and he plugged it into the center console. "At . . . 6:07 tomorrow evening, you should be able to phone your mum."

"So what're we going to do while we wait?" Rose had never wanted time to pass so quickly.

"I have an idea. You need to go put on a dress. Something nice." He pointed to her room. "Go on."

Rose found a cool, summery sundress to wear. The long dress was orangey-red linen covered with a batik pattern of swirls and whorls. The top tied behind her neck. She applied makeup and slid her feet into a pair of sandals.

The Doctor waited for her in the control room. He'd changed into a lighter version of his usual suit. He gave her a winning grin when she appeared and held out his hand. "Ready?"

"Where we goin'?" She took his hand and followed him out of the TARDIS. He locked the door and led her away from the beach, toward the small town nearby.

"Supper. There's a nice little restaurant in town."

"You taking me on a date?" Rose asked playfully. She leaned into him as they walked. 

"We haven't been on one in a while." The Doctor reached out and broke off a tropical flower. He handed it to Rose and she tucked it into her hair. "I like our dates."

"As long as there's no running tonight. I'm not up for that," she teased.

"No promises, but I'll see what I can do."

*** 

Rose spent the next day on the beach again. She and the Doctor had a lovely time on their date. She'd realized just how much she had missed him. But by early afternoon, Rose began to grow impatient and started pacing around the control room.

"Is it time yet?" she asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

The Doctor gave her a look between amusement and annoyance. "An hour, Rose."

She made an annoyed grunt and stormed off to her room. She could hear the Doctor's laugh follow her down the hall. Standing in the door of her room, Rose decided if she had an hour to wait, she might as well make the most of her time. She opened her wardrobe and started sorting clothing.

The hour flew by and before Rose knew it, the Doctor stood in the door of her room. "Ready?"

Rose jumped up and followed him back to the control room. The Doctor finished inputting the settings in barely contained excitement. He set up the phone as a speaker phone for Rose. "Here you go."

She nodded. She picked up the phone and dialed the house number.

"Tyler Residence."

She grinned widely. It had worked. "Jackie, please."

"Who may I say is calling?" 

"It's her daughter Rose."

There was an audible sigh on the other end of the line. "Miss, this is really not funny. Mrs. Tyler has been through quite enough without having to deal with cruel prank calls from imposters."

"Imposters?" Rose puffed up with indignation. "Is this Bryan?"

The voice sounded confused. "Yes, miss."

"Bryan, my two year, four month, four day old at the time of my disappearance sister, Madeline Jacqueline Tyler, has an unusually shaped birth mark on her left shoulder blade. It looks like two interlocked figure-eights. Am I correct?"

Bryan stammered, "I. . . uh. . .well. . ."

"Am I correct?" she demanded.

"Yes."

"Then get my mum on the phone. And when you've done that, find my dad and Mickey too." Rose felt the Doctor's eyes boring holes into her back. She looked at him, rolling her eyes and he smiled.

"Rose?" Jackie's voice held an edge of desperation. "Rose, is that really you?"

"It's me, mum. I'm sorry I disappeared again." Tears fell from Rose's eyes.

"Are you alright? What happened to you? Mickey came home with this story about you just disappearing into mid-air. No one could find a trace of you. Where are you, Rose?"

Rose took the offered tissue from the Doctor and wiped her eyes. "I fell though a rift in space and time. I'm back in our dimension. I'm alright, though. The Doctor found me."

"Oh, Rose. I miss you, love."

"I miss you too, mum." The connection started to crackle and she looked over her shoulder at the Doctor. "What's happening?"

He fiddled with the computer. "I think we're starting to lose the signal." He took the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and ran it over the mobile.

Jackie sounded alarmed. "Rose, what's going on?"

"Sorry, Jackie. The connection's growing weaker. You don't have much more time," the Doctor explained.

"Oi, Doctor, you better take better care of my daughter than you did the last time," Jackie admonished. "Or I'll find a way to come over there and slap you silly."

The Doctor and Rose shared a smile. "I will, Jackie. I promise."

"Mum, you'll tell Mickey and dad what happened, yeah?" Rose asked.

"Of course, I will."

"Give hugs to everyone for me. Tell Maddy her big sister's off saving the world again." Rose leaned against the Doctor, trying to keep her voice strong.

It sounded like Jackie was crying. "I will. I love you, Rose. And I miss you darling."

"I love you too mum. And I miss you. I'll call again if I ever can." More crackling came over the connection and Jackie's voice started to fade.

"Bye my darling Rose. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye, mum," Rose said and the connection disappeared. She turned and buried her face against the Doctor's chest. He rubbed her back as she cried.

When she finished crying, the Doctor gave her a little shove towards the door. "Go on outside. I'll be right there."

Rose stepped outside and found the sun hanging low in the sky. The Doctor followed her out a few minutes later. He's taken off his coat and jacket and rolled his shirt sleeves up. He spread a blanket on the sand and flopped down, motioning for her to join him. She sat down and leaned against him.

They watched the sun sink lower and lower. The Doctor put his arm around Rose, his hand   
absently playing with her hair. "Feel better?"

She turned her head to look at him. "At least now they won't be as worried. I guess I do feel better. Thank you."

The sky slowly darkened, stars appearing in the sky. Rose lay back, watching the night sky. The Doctor mirrored her pose, taking her hand in his.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

Rose took a deep breath, still gazing at the sky. She picked a particularly bright star hanging low to the horizon. "There." She pointed at the star.

The Doctor propped himself up on his elbow. "That one?" His hand followed hers, pointing at the same bit of space.

She nodded. "Mmm hmm."

He looked at her, a wide, bright grin on his face. She returned his smile and his grew even wider. "Alright, that one then."


End file.
